Don't Escape Reality. Change It.

UPDATE: It's go time on the marathon!

2011-12-08T14:42:00.001-05:00

Hello All!

As always, I hope this message finds you happy and healthy! I am currently in Washington, DC after a whirlwind cycle across Vietnam and two weeks in London, where I was able to officially start my 20-week marathon training program on the actual marathon route that I will be running in 5 short months. It was a thrill! The highlight of the last month, however, was most certainly watching as three women on my cycling trip in Vietnam - all of whom were in chemotherapy and radiation fighting breast cancer just 12 months ago - completed 400 miles on a bike to raise money for cancer research. Talk about inspiring!

Support me in finding a cure here: http://www.tinyurl.com/kylecure2012

Unfortunately, there was a less than awesome event that took place in London. The friends I was staying with were burgled and my laptop, iThings, SLR camera, zoom lens, external hard drive, and more were stolen! It was indeed upsetting but fortunately, no one was hurt and in the end, they are just things. With that in mind, I got to thinking about other "things" that pale in comparison to fighting cancer or losing someone you love to cancer. Here are the top five:

1. Having all of your electronics stolen.

2. Not getting an iPhone 4S or iPad 2 for Christmas.

3. Cycling across Vietnam.

4. Climbing to Everest Base Camp.

5. Running the London Marathon.

I am taking on all five of these in an effort to help find a cure for cancer and my hope is that you will help me in this journey. I am training every day to achieve my personal challenge but I need your help to achieve what is arguably our generation's greatest challenge: finding a cure to this wretched disease that affects ONE IN TWO FAMILIES.

This holiday season I ask you to stand with me in this battle, open your pockets, and assist in unlocking the key to a cure. I have less than 8 weeks to raise another $4,000 and I can't do it without you! You can donate now here:

http://www.tinyurl.com/kylecure2012

Lots of love this festive season,

Kyle

P.S. I realize the photo is entirely unrelated. The ones of me in my "gear" were stolen so I went with adorable instead.

Team Flinders Says Farewell

2011-11-18T04:56:00.000-05:00

After 12 days, 415 kilometers, 9 different hotels, one overnight train, two flooded towns, and three flights on Vietnam airways it is time for this amazing group of 37 Flinders fundraisers who have raised over $185,000 to say farewell! After our very long ride we had a few days to enjoy this fantastic country and did it in style. No one really knew how to get on with their day not having a morning briefing but we managed, and we did it together. You would never guess that most of us only just met. An experience like this really does bind people.

As I have said many times before, this element of camaraderie and team spirit is probably my favorite aspect of our Inspired Adventures. You can take 37 near strangers, chuck them in a foreign land together, and within days they will think like a team, act like a family, and joke like lifelong friends. It is truly life-changing.

Below are a few pics from our final dinner. Now get ready to welcome everyone home in just 24 short hours. Finally...

GO TEAM!!!

Airplanes, Buses, & Tunnels, Oh My!

2011-11-16T12:13:00.000-05:00

The serious challenge of 415 kilometers cycling behind us, it was now time to take in some of the culture, insights, and history of this spectacular country. That started with a full day of rest in Nha Trang and continued with an internal flight to Saigon, where he headed immediately to the Cu Chi Tunnels.

Situated just 45 kilometers from Saigon, this network of more than 250 kilometers of underground tunnels was a bastion of Viet Cong site capability in the south and a major headache for US, South Vietnamese, and Allied troops during the American War (what we call the Vietnam War).

The tunnels themselves range from 3 meters to more than 10 meters underground and are roughly 60 centimeters high and 40 centimeters wide. They once linked underground kitchens, arms depots, bedrooms, wells, booby traps, numerous hidden ways in and out, and even water entry ways into and out of the Saigon river. It is an architectural and logistical wonder as well as a significant site for the war itself.

After crawling through the tunnels ourselves, learning about its structure, and getting a first-hand look at every aspect of the war we hopped back on the bus and zoomed toward Saigon. Dinner this evening was at leisure and tomorrow several of us will be heading to Long Tan, site of the most significant battle fought by Australian troops during the war.

We've still got Flinders, our accomplishment, and all of our friends and family on our minds! GO TEAM!

All of Team Flinders conquers 400+ Kilometers for FMCF!

2011-11-15T21:17:00.000-05:00

It was yet another Brilliant day for cycling as team Flinders took the road on the last of our 6 cycling days. Today's distance was 91 kilometers, which would put our cumulative achievement at 415 kilometers! Today's theme was open-ended, allowing each individual to reflect on what had driven them to take on a challenge like this for a charity like Flinders. While that reflection became quite emotional, it was clear that the group appreciated the opportunity to collectively think about what this serious adventure was really for. For a few brief moments - a few short days in rural Vietnam - you can feel like you are not alone in this, and that can actually do something to help.

We flew through the first 50 kilometers! It wasn't easy but with so many Ks behind us, we were now fairly seasoned cyclists; a whole army of little Lances in training, Louise and Thelma said! Lunch was the usual scrambled eggs, tomato, cucumber, cheese, and peanut butter on fresh baguette (don't knock it until you've tried it) and from there we transferred by bus to the top of a hill to begin our last cycle of the entire trip.

The first 11 kilometers were some of the steepest we have cycled and it felt good to have the wind swirling by! At one point Juliette registered 57km/hr on her bike computer. WOOHOO! As we descended into the coastal valley region of Nha Trang you could feel the heat and humidity descending with us. It was like a big sticky hot hug. After a quick water break we began the final stretch and my goodness, was it tough. A nearly constant incline of 2 or 3 degrees, the grueling accent was paired with the hottest temperatures we had experienced to make sure that we would have to work for every last kilometer.

We stopped one kilometer before the finish line to regroup and ride in as a team. There is no way any of us could have done it without the love and support of not only our family and friends at home but, after 8 intense days together, the love and support of our amazing, incredible, inspiring team. Passing that finish line brought cheers, tears, and everything in between. It was a beautiful feeling that will bind these 37 people forever.

Special shout outs today go to two incredible people who cycled through some serious pain to finish with the team. Thelma blew out her knee around 20 kilometers into the day and pushed through (albeit with lots of pain) to bring it home. Nick was fighting what we thought was gastro then thought was an appendicitis but turned out to be an intestinal infection to bring it home for the team as well! In addition, Rachel, Robyn, and Sue led us across the finish line - a fitting moment for our three hardest workers. While it may seem like a holiday going away to Asia, Inspired Adventures are a whole lot more. 415 kilometers cycled, hundreds of thousands of dollars raised, and lives genuinely changed.

With the cycling behind us, we celebrated with a massive Vietnamese barbecue, cocktails, and a dance party. The group thanked our absolutely incredible crew and showed some love for Juliette, who was there every step of the way to support the team from Flinders. From here, it's onward to Saigon to visit the Cu Chi tunnels and Long Tan.

For real, GO TEAM!

We did it! Team Flinders Conquers All 415 Kilometers!

2011-11-14T06:14:00.000-05:00

It's official! We just finished all 415 kilometers! Look for the full story tomorrow. Right now, it's time to celebrate!

Team Flinders Doing It For Us (And The Kids)!

2011-11-13T10:59:00.000-05:00

What is amazing about cycling extreme distances is that it makes what used to be extreme distances feel like a relaxed cruise around town. Today we put in a solid 45 kilometers through yet more "undulating" (read: hilly) terrain. It was a terrific ride. The afternoon sun kept us warm while a slight breeze ensured we weren't too warm! At this stage the entire group is fairly expert at dodging cows, motorcycles, large trucks, small trucks, children, chickens, dogs, potholes, and just about anything else that rolls into our path. If it is not bolted to the ground, it is most definitely making a run at one of us!

The true champs today were Nick, Adam, and Robyn. Nick was struggling with gastro and powered through despite a fairly frequent need for a "happy bush." Adam was suffering from some lingering heat stroke but recovered well and finished strong. Poor Robyn lost her balance right at the 20km break and gave us a brilliant stack that left her feeling fine but a touch muddy!

Even with that awesome cycle on the books, I think the highlight of our day was definitely the visit to the orphanage this morning. The group pulled together over $1,200 to buy supplies (thanks heaps to Sue for raising $900!) and we were able to buy:

-600 kilos (1300 pounds) of rice
-70 kilos of powdered baby milk
-70 kilos of washing detergent
-100 liters of cooking oil
-5 kilos of dried fish
-5 kilos of peanuts
-10 winter blankets
-22 double mosquito nets
-300 choco pie candy treats

That's a whole lot of stuff and it took a separate truck to deliver it and all 39 of us to carry it into the facility, where we were greeted by several wonderful nuns who told us about their work with the children (219 at present, all needing a home). After learning a great deal and officially handing over the goods, the kids welcomed us into their mess hall singing all sorts of great songs!

We spent several minutes on two separate sides of the hall, everyone unsure of exactly how to proceed. Finally, I just darted across the room and swept one of the kids into my arms. From there, it was absolute mayhem! We laughed, we joked, we chased, and we laughed some more. I think those who have kids at home were particularly touched, as an experience like this reminds us of how fortunate we are and how much we can do to help. We said goodbye by singing "YMCA" to them (not a pretty site!).

It was an amazing morning and I think we would have been happy to hang around a few more days to play but alas, adventure called. Still, I have no doubt this morning will stay in people's thoughts long after we have left Vietnam. I mean, honestly, look at that face!

90 final kilometers to go tomorrow AND we get to sleep in until 6:30am! You know you are working it went that sounds like a treat. GO TEAM!

Today's shout out goes to Louise, who made some friends along the way and nearly picked up a ride! She also took a rather interesting photo for her donors back home. You'll have to check Facebook for that one!

ALL 37 of Team Flinders Conquer 100km! Doing It For The Team!

2011-11-12T10:16:00.001-05:00

After a very laid back night in our very beige hotel, it was an early start for this group of 37 ragtag Aussies, as there were 100 kilometers of tarmac to cover before nightfall! Today's theme was "Doing it for the team" and everyone definitely brought their A-game.

The morning cycle was 56 kilometers through what the guides have been describing as "undulating" terrain (read: steep uphills and tiny little downhills) that once again stretched through terraced rice paddies, villages, and, for the first time, jungle. Every single person did a fantastic job conquering every last kilometer. Jacinta (Jax) stayed right up front, showing the boys a thing or two every time we hit an uphill. Juliette tried strapping her video camera to her handle bars and had great success, which means some very lucky people will get to sit through several hours of footage! Symon and Shane stuck together, really looking out for each other. Yo-Yo had the one-liner of the day. She zoomed past me on a fairly serious incline, turned her head to look back, looked right in my eyes and said "eat my dust" then growled. She is one of our oldest participants.

We had another massive lunch of egg and tomato sandwiches, laughing cow cheese, peanut butter, and sugary drinks before a 2-hour bus journey to the starting point of our afternoon 52 kilometer cycle. You know, just a leisurely cruise through the countryside! Thankfully, the first 12 kilometers were almost entirely downhill, which offered some sweet relief to tired legs and bums. The real challenge came in the last 20 kilometers, which was make-or-break for everyone. Having come this far, no one gave up and all of us eeked out every last kilometer, with many of us finishing in the darkness of nighttime.

I can't quite describe the feeling of seeing 37 people complete what was for many, the challenge of a lifetime. There are several cancer survivors on our trip. They are people like Beatrice (above) who were in chemotherapy just 12 months ago and now they are cycling half-way across Vietnam. If that doesn't move you, inspire you, and encourage you to accomplish anything, I don't know what will! Of course, that's what these Inspired Adventures at all about. Early to bed tonight as we are up at 6am again tomorrow to visit an orphanage before putting another 45 kilometers behind us. Go team!

Finally, the shout-out of the day goes to Sarah, who came out of what she thought was the toilet at lunch saying it was "the smallest toilet she had ever seen." Turns out it was the shower and that "tiny toilet" was the drain. Oops!

Team Flinders Tackle 70km For Cancer Research!

2011-11-11T06:59:00.000-05:00

We awoke to the sounds of city life - motorbikes whizzing by, roosters crowing, children laughing, and every other sound you would expect to h in Vietnam. Today promised to be filled with beautiful scenery and my goodness was it true. This time, the rice paddies and small towns were paired with flowing estuaries filled with fishing boats of all shapes and sizes. If there was anything to keep our minds off of the endless kilometers, it was certainly the sights, sounds, and smells (not always good) of Central Vietnam.

Today the skies were blue, the breeze was light, and the temperature was HOT. For some it was a blessing to get out the rain and wet while for others, the heat proved to be the biggest challenge of the day. It seems the grass is always greener on the other side of the Hai Van Pass! With the sun beating down on us it meant we had to hydrate a great deal more and a lot more frequently. What was maybe a liter in the course of 50km became a liter every 10km!

Special shout out to Rachel and Sue, who were really feeling the heat this afternoon but took a moment, regrouped, and finished every last kilometer for Flinders! Just two years ago Sue was fighting off breast cancer and here she was today keeping up with even the big boys (and our token kid - 16 year old Oscar who is cycling with his Dad, who will have renamed "Oscar's Dad) and holding nothing back. Talk about inspirational!

We arrived at My Lai just before 4pm to visit the museum and memorial dedicated to the site of the worst American atrocity committed against Vietnamese civilians during the war. On that site in the late 1960s, 514 civilian men, women, and children were killed at point blank range. Three soldiers, seeing how wrong this act was, actually commandeered a helicopter and flew 10 people to safety. The Commander of the operation officially apologized in 2008. It was a chilling reminder of the evils of war and a true testament to the perseverance and spirit of the Vietnamese people.

From there it was 10 short kilometers into the sunset to our hotel in Quang Nai, where we are now hunkered down eating and sleeping. There are only 3 activities on this trip - eating, sleeping, and cycling. As I told Symon and Shane today, just do as you are told and you will have a much better time. Did they listen? I'll let you tomorrow. Until then!

One final shout out from Della to her class back in Australia. She wants to make sure all of you are doing your assignments ON TIME and also sends a very big hug your way!

Doing It For Flinders Through The Hai Van Pass

2011-11-10T21:59:00.000-05:00

As the last of our massive group of 37 reached the summit of the Hai Van Pass, the entire team breathed a collective sigh of relief while simultaneously cheering our incredible effort. My goodness was it an intense day, but we made it through and we did it all for Flinders!!!

We were cycling away by 7:30am, with 50km to go before lunch and the 10km, 12% incline, unrelenting, unforgiving, nothing but up Hai Van Pass. The first 40km whizzed by, as we cycled through luscious rice fields, rural farms, and small villages that were dotted with a see of children screaming "HELLO. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?" as we passed. Once again most folks started plotting as to how they could sneak an adorable Vietnamese kid home in their suitcase.

The last 10km was, as the guides described it, "quite undulating." it was god practice for our afternoon ascent, as was the onslaught of rain that joined us on our final portion of the journey! Boy did it feel good to hop on that bus, escape the rain, and head to lunch! We munched on delicious seafood spring rolls and noodles while watching the waves lap against the Vietnamese coast before saddling back up at the base of Hai Van Pass and churning up, up, up, up deep into the clouds, the cold, and the stunning views that such elevation offers.

It took nearly an hour for the first of the group to finish and nearly everyone else followed in due time, far exceeding any and all expectations that had for their own abilities. Louise was doing in memory of her mother Marjorie. Briony was doing it for her sister. 12 months ago Beatrice was in alternating rounds of chemo and radiation. Today, she cycled up one of the most intense routes in Asia. Take that cancer!!! Everyone is here for a veery important reason and that positive energy is definitely propelling us forward.

Our theme today was "doing it for Flinders" and the team certainly brought their A-game! We finished in Hoi An, checked into our hotel, and hot the town to celebrate a successful day. Tomorrow promises to be another killer, with 70km ahead of us. For now, it's food, drink, and laughter!

GO TEAM!

P.S. Thelma and Louise (below) said I could be there Brad Pitt! Score!

Team Flinders Conquers Heavy Rain & Flooding!

2011-11-09T11:29:00.001-05:00

We awoke aboard the reunification express to find the water was creeping right up to the tracks! Apparently a cyclone haas whizzed through in the previous days and the aftermath meant that large parts of central Vietnam were submerged. Still, the train pressed on and so did we! It was a quick change at the hotel where we all came dressed to impress in our brilliant cycling jerseys provided by Flinders.

Fitting the bikes was quite an exercise and took the better part of an hour. The BRILLIANT mechanics swapped seats, adjusted handle bars, pumped tires, and set up bike computers until every bit of equipment was just right. From here it was time for a safety briefing on what to expect. If anyone has ever driven, cycled, or walked on the roads of Asia, Latin America, or Africa you know EXACTLY what we were meant to expect: utter chaos, everyone violating every road rule, merging farm animals, and a complete disregard for traffic signals. It's all part of the adventure!

We set off in a break from the rain and it took only 3 kilometers for Kevin to take the award for "first stack." It was a brilliant one as well. He went right over the handle bars up on the sidewalk. Thankfully, he had only one small injury. We quickly patched it up and cycled on. It was a solid 2 more kilometers until the second stack of the day. This one belonged to Nick, who also thought it pertinent to fly clear over his handlebars. Again, injuries were minor and we were back on our saddles within minutes.

Today we explored a thousand-year-old Buddhist temple, a thousand-year-old imperial palace, and some of the most spectacular countryside one could imagine. We criss-crossed through rice paddies, cemeteries, and small villages, 37 jersey-clad Aussies ready to bring their all for Flinders. It didn't take long for the adrenaline to start pumping and the energy levels to shoot sky high. There is something simply magical about cycling through the back roads of the Vietnamese jungle in the pouring rain. It's just out of this world.

Early to bed as we have 80 kilometers tomorrow, including a 10km section that is entirely uphill. Wish us luck!

Today's Totals: 32 kilometers cycled, 5 stacks.

GO TEAM!!!!

Team Flinders Vietnam Cycle Have Arrived!

2011-11-08T11:46:00.000-05:00

I am writing from the overnight train as Team Flinders head south to Hue, where we will begin our cycle challenge. The rumbling of the carriages, the humming of the air conditioner, and the quiet whispers of excitement from these amazing 37 cyclists are just electric!

The group spent the day exploring the sites and sounds of historic Hanoi. The main attraction was most definitively the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh himself. After lunch it was all about shopping, as Kevin lead the pack in individual purchasing prowess. Once again these Australians seems to be major backers of the ever growing Vietnamese economy!

Dinner started with the usual seasonal pumpkin soup and continued with three courses of delectable fishes, meats, and vegetables that left us full and ready for the train journey ahead. It's 12 blissful hours aboard the reunification express before we arrive in Hue. No doubt we will be eating, drinking, and doing our best to sleep to ensure that we are rested and ready to get cycling tomorrow! One final note: Rob is no longer Rob. From this moment forward he is officially "Oscar's Dad."

Until next time...

My Parents Are The Best Ever

2011-11-02T10:15:00.002-05:00

So I had a three hour layover in LA and my amazing parents not only showed up to say hi and give me a hug, but they restocked my mini pharmacy and BROUGHT IN N OUT BURGER WITH THEM. Two double doubles and a fries. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? There is no equivalent for how awesome that is because it is just too awesome.

A big thank you to LA Intl Airport (the new Tom Bradley International Terminal is amazing) for getting me off the plane, through immigration and customs with baggage, and past baggage re-drop in under 15 minutes.

ROCK. ON.

ChildFund Cruises Down The River!

2011-11-02T10:15:00.000-05:00

How does one celebrate after having trekked 50 kilometers in four days through dense Vietnamese jungle sleeping in barns and eating...and eating...and eating? With a lovely cycle along and boat cruise down the res River, of course!

The first order of business after another night train, 4am arrival, and bus ride was a very deep clean. It involved hot water, solid pressure, an indescribable amount of soaps, and a great deal of upper body strength. Boy did it feel good to be clean!

From there we saddled up and began our cycle along the Red River. Gill was a natural and made it look so easy, while Bianca gave tips to the rest of the group on changing gears, using brakes, and not falling over. We zipped through the countryside at a leisurely pace, taking in the beauty and charm of less-crowded Vietnam.

We stopped at the oldest pagoda in Vietnam (where Marissa and Georgia decided to have a photo shoot) and shopped at a ceramics market before ditching the bikes and hopping aboard our river boat to cruise back to Hanoi while dining on fresh seafood and sipping on some bubbly!

Upon our return to Hanoi we once again deep cleaned, put on our Sunday best, and headed to a farewell dinner where awards were handed out, jokes were made, and tears were shed at having to say goodbye to this amazing group of people. It feels like bidding adieu to family, we have all been through so much!

Alas, all good things have to come to end and so here we come, back to Australia with piles and gifts for all of you! Get excited (except for Alexis' family. She only shopped for herself, naturally).

ChildFund Vietnam Gets Muddy. And Drinks. And Shops.

2011-10-30T04:51:00.000-05:00

We awoke on the last trek morning having had quite the celebratory evening the night before. What were we celebrating? Our own awesomeness, of course! Stories were told, deep dark secrets were shared, and our local guide Tung danced brilliantly to Kylie's "Spin Me Right Round." I wish I could share our antics but alas, what happens in Sapa STAYS IN SAPA. Except for things that happen to Van B. Or Alexis.

It could not have been any wetter, muddier, and more slippery than it was yesterday, or so we thought. The last trekking day brought the need for constant attention on each and every step taken. There was a great deal more sliding and mud skiing; both of which Marissa escaped by simply plopping down on her bum and cleverly (though muddily) scooching along on her bottom. The group decided to declare their prowess by slapping mud across their faces and doing a little photo shoot.

The grueling trek behind us, we then had roughly 24 hours to shower, shop, and eat before catching the overnight train back to Hanoi. It's never a dull moment on an Inspired Adventure! A lie-in meant quite a few of the group danced, drank, and was merry until the wee hours of the morning. I believe at one stage...like I would tell! Everyone did a little shopping then Krista came in last and bought up all the final bits and pieces. She may be solely responsible for Vietnam's fourth quarter growth rate of 7% and she has another week to buy buy buy!

Tomorrow we will be cycling and cruising along the Mekong. For now, it's time to drift away to the slow and rhythmic rumbling of the Fansipan Express. Sweet dreams!

Wet n' Wild For Team ChildFund!

2011-10-28T20:08:00.001-05:00

It was 6:30am and I was attempting to catch a few more Zzzz's before heading off on another big trek. Team ChildFund, however, were already up and buzzing around like a bunch of overexcited teenagers! Despite the rain, mud, and onslaught of local villagers this group couldn't get enough!

We munched on some wildly delectable pancakes which were complemented with bananas, apples, and fresh honey before once again putting on our sopping wet, mud-encrusted boots and setting off. Today's theme? WATER! It was falling from the sky, it was raging down rivers we had to cross, and it was sloshing around in our boots.

To say conditions were tough is a gross understatement. Still, after two days of intense trekking, it was clear that nothing would stop us. We went up, we went down, we went on and on! Kirby was totally wet through, her petite frame in need of a genuine ringing out. Sue embraced the rain and just let herself get soaked. Marissa got munched on by a leech. I nearly fell off the side of a mountain. Gary was still wearing those tiny shorts.

Once we got into it there was something almost enjoyable about the whole experience. We were in it, we weren't getting out of it, so we dealt with it. That includes the rock slide that missed us by no more than 100 meters. It's an adventure!

We arrived at camp around 3pm to find mattresses for everyone, a fully stocked bar, a western toilet, and HOT WATER! Five star all around. We drew up our shower roster, pumped some tunes, and really just enjoyed each other's company. Card games, celebrity heads, Facebook stalking, tarot card reading, eating, and drinking rice wine were all on the agenda.

Once again I couldn't help but notice the level of instant intimacy that seems to emerge on trips like this. This element of camaraderie and team spirit is probably my favorite aspect of our Inspired Adventures. As I have said before, you can take 18 near strangers, chuck them in a foreign land together, and within days they will think like a team, act like a family, and joke like lifelong friends. It is truly life-changing.

For now, it's off to bed as we still have one more rain-filled trek ahead of us! I would like to note that Alexis (the one who couldn't seem to get any lovin') was awarded with both a bracelet (for her humour) and the day's Miss Saigon statuette (for offering her jacket to a soaked-through team leader in absolute misery). Naturally, she promptly lost the bracelet and decapitated the statuette. And she wonders why nobody likes her. Just kidding! But seriously.

Until next time!

It's Teamwork (& Red Bull) Time!

2011-10-28T04:34:00.000-05:00

If there is anything that will bring a group together, it's a giant slumber party in a barn and some tents in the middle of the Vietnamese jungle. We rolled out our mats and sleeping bags, bundled into our sleeping sacks, lowered our mosquito nets, and drifted away to the sounds of rather baritone snoring. The responsible party shall remain nameless.

Just as the roosters began to crow (the actually began at 3am despite it still being pitch black) we awoke to find that the rain had subsided, having washed the foggy mist away. The views were just stunning. Still, there was no time for dilly-dallying and we slurped down our noodles, refilled our water bladders, pulled on our dirty pants, laced up our muddy boots, and hit the road. At this stage Bianca got rather overexcited about a can of red bull, which she quickly skulled before proceeding to literally tremor with energy.

If I was to think up a theme for today it would be teamwork. The trail was tough and at times even treacherous. There was something to play on the fears of everyone: Teetering bridges for those scared of heights, wandering Buffalo for those scared of animals, and LOTS of slippery clay for those scared of getting dirty. Still, we stuck together and were joined by an army of Hmong village ladies without whom some of us would not have made it through.

Us all geared up in boots and packs with poles and prowess, them quite basic with plastic sandals and wicker baskets, we were certainly the odd couple. While we slid, slipped, and at times skied down the mountain their delicate footsteps and lifelong experience made it look like a leisurely stroll through the CBD.

Today we fought cold, rain, the flu, and some serious gastro. Once again we dined on fresh baguette, tomato, and ham for lunch, which we had perched high above the terraced rice fields. Krista almost stopped the trek then and there when I nearly slid down the mountain then actually stopped when she ran smack into a tree after picking up some serious downhill speed. Kerri and Lai overcame their fear of heights and did an incredible job navigating some pretty hairy bamboo bridges while Alexis made her usual attempts at being loved. Once more this plan was foiled when, at lunch, she slid right down a rock face directly into Sue. This was only the beginning for Sue. She first went bottoms up on her own, was followed by Alexis' oopsy-daisy and got finished off with a wet wipe to the face courtesy of Dani. Now that's teamwork!

We arrive in the afternoon to find a sparkling clean guesthouse waiting for us. I am now writing from one of the beds as the group plays celebrity heads just 20 feet away. At dinner we once again passed the bracelets (each day 4 people are recognized for being awesome and the following day, they pass them on to four new awesome people). It should be noted that I also awarded Sue today's "Miss Saigon" statue for surviving what appeared to have been a coordinated attack by some who were jealous of her natural amazingness (mainly Alexis). Off to bed. Another big day of trekking tomorrow!

The Trek Of All Treks For ChildFund

2011-10-28T04:28:00.001-05:00

It all started with an overnight train journey that will probably live in infamy for so many reasons. Krista decided to ride with 3 Germans by accident. Gill thought she had lost ALL of her undergarments. Kerri and Wendy were pushing Baileys like they were getting a commission. The two couples ended up partying the latest and longest. It was approximately 700 degrees on board.

Thankfully we arrived on time and had 3 hours to nap, eat, shower, and recuperate before starting a very intense day of trekking through the very intense jungle of northern Vietnam. This isn't your country stroll. There are no paved paths, no ranger stations, and no alternative routes out. Once you're in you have to get to the other side, period. 8 hours, 15 kilometers, and 18 sore and aching bodies later, we arrived by torchlight to our tents and barn attics to eat, share, and most importantly, sleep.

We scrambled up rock faces, we slipped and slid down the damp rocks of a river run-off, we crossed rivers, we burrowed through overgrown ferns and bushes, and we did it all in support of ChildFund. Our walk took us deep into the misty valleys of mysterious Sapa. This region is steeped in the history and culture of Vietnam's 56 ethnic minority tribes, each with their own distinct language, traditions, and dress. While the entire day was full of memories, I decided it would be easiest to use a list:

1. When a red fire ant crawled deep into Peter's shoe and bit his big toe.

2. Eating gorgeous baguette with cheese, tomato, and ham alongside a stream deep, deep, deep in the jungle.

3. Finishing the trek long after sunset by torchlight with Kirby, Catherine, Wendy, Gill, and Rachel.

4. Alexis' sad attempt at using corruption, blackmail, and bribes to get a daily "super star" bracelet.

5. The amazing stacks. Namely:

-Sue sliding down the side of a rock face on her bum.
-Dani clinging to Alexis' private regions in an effort to stay standing.
-Catherine bending her trekking pole clear in half whilst sliding down a dried out river.
-Krista face planting into a little stream only to hear Georgia, her daughter, offer nothing more than "my Mom's scream is so ugly!"

To bed now (it is 8pm) so we are sufficiently rested for whatever tomorrow may bring!

Team ChildFund Gives Back

2011-10-25T06:06:00.001-05:00

As I write we are careening towards Hanoi en route to catch our overnight train to Sapa where we will begin our four-day trek through the majestic terraced rice fields, over rolling hills, and deep into plunging valleys.

Regardless of what adventures may lie ahead, I think it's safe to say that every single person had a day they'll remember. We started at the Commune headquarters, where the communal chairman and his vice-chairs joined Deb Leever, the ChildFund country coordinator, to give us an overview of the projects being taken on in this incredibly remote and incredibly poor community. We heard in great detail about the exact preschool that funds this group have raised will help build before heading back into the village to see the current school and the site of its future replacement.

We arrived to find two dozen adorable little munchkins waiting with great anticipation. The look on their collective faces said to us, "who are they? Why are they here? Will they play with us? Did they bring candy?" Thankfully, we did bring sweets and we had every intention of playing with them! Imagine the cutest kid you have ever seen then multiply it by 100, put a Hawaiian shirt on him or her, and offer up some delicious chocolate coffee cookies and you've got these dudes and dudettes!

Once again we laughed, we played, and we chased. There were singing games, dancing games, chasing games, and games that involved blindfolds. Gary was doing somersaults and Nordic tracks, still in those shorts. He was about one level removed from Richard Simmons! We ran in circles, we ran around rings, and we even hopped on one foot at one point. Why? None of us are entirely certain.

After being run totally ragged, we split into two groups to meet some families in the local community. My group arrived to find a lovely family of four (plus grandpa) waiting with a warm welcome and a delicious cup of green tea. We had the opportunity to ask questions about their life, their hopes, and even their fears for the future with the father noting that his biggest wish in life is for his children to have the chance to go to university. It is amazing how quickly we grow accustomed to our lifetstyle, our luxuries, and our norms. These kinds of experiences certainly put things into perspective.

We continued our visit after lunch as the comunity and ChildFund arranged a donation ceremony to officially "hand over" the group's donation. The entire community turned out for what was a brilliant show of dance, song, and several speeches (including one from Peter, who gave his translator a real stress with his pace and giant vocabulary). Money handed over, children hugged, and hands shaken, we hopped back in our vans where we are now dodging trucks, water buffalo, and more motor cycles in an effort to make our train to Sapa in just a few short hours.

Just a quick word on vans. As there are two, each has a distinctive feel. Van A have deemed themselves "van awesome" and fill their time with sing-alongs, dancing, and paying out van b, which they have deemed "van boring." Van B, on the other hand, are referring to themselves as "van brilliant" and enjoy, as Sue put it, intellectual conversation and topics far above van A's understanding. Where do my loyalties lie? I couldn't possibly say!

Stay tuned for a great deal more adventure from this wild group of generous misfits (especially Sue and Georgia).

Lets Visit Some ChildFund Projects!

2011-10-24T11:46:00.001-05:00

Today's 6am start meant we were all up by 5:30am bustling around, rearranging, sorting, and feeding coffee into our veins via an IV. Like clockwork, however, our two vans zoomed away right at 6:30am with all of us inside but just barely. You see, as Krista walked out I told her to hop in the other van. She obliged and I hopped into my van, chatting with the folks in the back. I decided to do one more head count and zipped up to the other van. Only to find that Krista was not there. No one had seen her either.

I quickly checked the lobby, the other van, and this van yet again as my anxiety levels began to rise. She was traveling with her 15 year old daughter Georgia. What would she do? How would I explain this to her husband? "Hi, I lost your wife on the way to a van. Sorry?"

I began shuffling up and down the street peeking into shops and restaurants. A few minutes passed before my eyes made a passing glance into the window of a small van and spotted her. There she was sitting in the back seat right next to a Vietnamese man who had the most perplexed look on his face. "Krista," I said, "what are you doing? That's not our van." Her jaw dropped and I escorted her to her van before returning to mine to tell everyone one had happened before blogging it for the whole world to know.

That little hiccup behind us, we were off! The tiny winding roads of the Old Quarter quickly became wide highways that were filled with cars, trucks, and 4 million motorbikes. The congestion slowly faded away, revealing a wide open road lined with small stores, billboards, and never ending jungle. Before long even the pavement disappeared, as Tarmac turned to gravel and gravel turned to rocks and rocks turned to dirt. We had definitely arrived in the country.

Our morning turned out to be a great deal more difficult than any of us had expected. The road was washed out, which meant a solid 7km round trip walk through a village, across several rice fields and up, up, up, up, up to visit one of ChildFund's water purification projects that provides clean, potable wate to nearly 300 families. It was over 30 degrees and about 1000% humidity. The sun was beating down on us as we litany scrambled up loose scree, around trees, and through gullies before reaching the top. The walk took nearly 4 hours and by the time we were done, the sweat build up left everyone looking like they had gone for a dip in the pool! Still, the ability to see EXACTLY whe donor funds go felt incredibly empowering.

After lunch in a local house we headed to a second village to visit a primary school, pre-school, and community health center that were all made possible by donations and support via ChildFund. Once again, we were amazed by how tangible the direct impact of funds raised felt. You could feel the impact those sites have had on the community as well.

The children were warm, bubbly, chatty, darn polite, and SO EXCITED to have foreign visitors. We laughed, we ate cookies, and we even chased them all over the place. There was lots of talking of stealing some to take home. Could you say no to that face?

At the community health center we learned that infant mortality rates in this province had been reduced to ZERO over the past four years, with people having necessary access to medications, treatments, and expertise that did not exist before 2007. It was sensational and the entire group were quite moved.

From here it was onward to our hotel for showers, dinner, and an extensive briefing from the ChildFund Vietnam country director. Tomorrow we head back out to three other projects before our night train to Sapa. It's all happening!

On one final note, what year would you say Gary has fallen out of? Please leave guesses in the comments section. GO TEAM!

ChildFund Vietnam Takes On Hanoi!

2011-10-23T11:54:00.001-05:00

Team ChildFund have officially arrived in Vietnam! After more than 16 hours of transit the entire group of 18 amazing supporters who have raised more than $73,000 landed fe and sound in Vietnam's frenetic capital, Hanoi!

It was straight to bed for most with a few of us taking a late night stroll through the bustling streets of the Old Quarter and around the city's central lake. We watched as right at 12 midnight the city's curfew came into effect. Doors shuttered, lights flicked off, and nearly all music stopped. It. Was a city transformed!

Today's big exploration started with a delectable breakfast on the ground floor of the Sunshine Suites Hotel (not to be confused with Sunshine Hotel, Sunshine 3, and Sunshine Hotel and Suites - there is a lot of repetition in naming here)! First stop was the Ho Chi Minh complex, including his mausoleum (which was sadly closed as the body had been airlifted to Moscow to be touched up), his old palace, and his stilt house that he called home for the final years of his life.

With a group of 18 I was forced to make my usual threats of matching hats, flags on poles, and name tags should they fail to keep up, be on time, and do as they are told. Thankfully, all complied (except for Rachel, who we have sorted out).

The hot humid air of the city combined with jet lag meant that come lunch time, this was a VERY HUNGRY BUNCH. We ate at KOTO, an amazing nonprofit restaurant that employs and rehabilitates both underprivileged and underserved young people in the city. The food was divine, as were the wonderful (and shockingly affordable) cocktails.

In the afternoon we all hopped in rickshaws for a scenic spin around Old Hanoi. The bustling traffic, honking horns, smells of street food, and chorus of "hellos" from children really made this entire experience sink in. We are certainly not in Australia anymore!

Our day finished in the most delicious way. We did dinner backwards, gorging on the phenomenal ice cream of Fanny (yes, it's called Fanny). Krista, Georgia, Bianca, and I managed to finish off TWENTY scoops. Yes, TWENTY.

After a short recharge we dined on a nine-course Vietnamese feast accompanied by the wonderful folks from ChildFund's Vietnam office. W also took a minute to surprise Alexis and sing her happy birthday. She thought she could keep that a secret. No way no how!

Its off to bed now, as we have a 6am start tomorrow to get to the CildFund project by nine. Wish us luck!

Team Chopper Conquer Beijing!

2011-10-16T22:31:00.000-05:00

We awoke from our afternoon turned evening barbecue haze just in time to scarf down roughly 376 pieces of egg and chive pancakes before it was back on the bus for our dramatic return to Beijing. The first hour wars calm, cool and collected. We were zooming along winding country roads at what felt like the speed of light, horn occasionally honking away just for fun. Then, just as we reached the 6th ring road, our inertia pulling us forward came to a screeching halt. We were back in the city and traffic was TERRIBLE. Thankfully, we were all still on a "buddy" love fest high from the night before so we filled the time going on about how much we love each other. Except for Rodney.

By noon we were at the Summer Palace taking in the sweeping views across the pristine lake to the brilliant Buddhist temple set high up on the hill. You could understand why it made such a perfect summer retreat. Just 20kms outside the city, there was something very "oohhhhh...ahhhhhh" about the place. Weeping willows, col breezes, and a genuine temperature decrease left me wishing I could summer there!

The afternoon found us eating. And eating. And eating. Oh, and sleeping and martial arts-ing too. It was hotpot lunch followed by afternoon naps followed by the wild and crazy tastes of Donghuamen Night Food Market! Some of the boys met us there, as they were busy fulfilling their dream of having a suit tailor made to fit in just 2 days. Its always something with these blokes! They then fulfilled a second dream of scarfing down scorpions, snakes, starfish, and sheep's testicles! We finished the day with a martial arts exhibition and what can only e described as the most perfect foot massage of all time. I won, sharing with Daryl and Chris while the rest of the gang bunked up in other rooms. We could hear Michelle's cries of pain from the down the hall.

We started the last day of our Chinese adventure on Saturday with a visit to Tian'an'men Square. There is something quite intense about standing on the site of such a significant moment in modern history. So much has changed since then yet the entire experience feels so real and so recent. Our next adventure was riding the subway. You can only imagine what it looked like as we - 15 very white tall foreigners - traipsed through the underground network. 8 days in and we were doing it like the locals: heads down, elbows up, and charging forward! They didn't stand a chance.

Next up we didn't stand a chance as the lot of us hopped on bikes for a leisurely midday cycle through the manic roads and charming lane ways of old Beijing. Once again we found ourselves heads down, elbows up only this time we had some serious speed and a vehicle that could inflict a more serious blow. Still, it's safe to say that Beijing won on this one.

We finished the day in true Team Chopper style - shopping until we dropped at the pearls, bags, clothes, and electronics market. I can safely say, without question, that this group of people is having a measurable (and sizable) affect on the Chinese economy. I still don't understand why Paul, Pete, Rod, and Brendon needed so many handbags. Something about matching all their different shoes, I guess. Shout out to Ben, who got the best deals. I have ever seen on pretty much everything he bought. Woohoo!

No event for this group would be complete without a proper farewell dinner and happy hour! I had put together short photo slideshow and proceeded to knight each person with a different royal title. Rod was deemed Captain Baijiu while Agnes will now forever be known as "Angus, Warrior Princess.". From there we hit the town and unfortunately, all post 10pm antics have been forever banned from publication. After all, this blog is rated PG!Now it's back to Oz we go. We have been challenged, we have been tested, and we have been shopping (FOR EVERYTHING). Now, at the other end, I believe we have also been profoundly changed; something we may not start to feel until we attempt to rejoin the world after a brilliant 10 days in our China bubble. Team Chopper, you will be missed!

The Clouds Part For Team Chopper

2011-10-13T21:45:00.001-05:00

Once again, the day started under less than ideal weather conditions. It was wet, cold, and darn near miserable! The entire group was a little bit weary about the trekking and climbing ahead. Once again, however, just as the bus pulled away from the hotel the rain stopped and the clouds cleared, leaving the bluest and clearer sky I have ever seen in China. It was so clear, in fact, that we could see the Beijing skyline some 100km away! The Great Wall - enveloped by the reds, yellows, and oranges of autumn - looked absolutely spectacular.

Today's section was a fan favorite. Called Mutianyu, it crawls along the spine of the ridge some 1000 meters about sea level. We were surrounded by craggy white, limestone-topped mountains on all sides and it seemed that our panoramic views changed with every step. The first portion of our walk was not steps (miraculously) but instead plunging slopes that wound down and up and down and up and down and up. This proved to be the most difficult type of terrain for Nicole with her fused ankle so Chris and I developed a "cruise control" system (photo above) that allowed us to monitor here downhill speed.

At the end of this portion was our biggest challenge of the day - 1000 uninterrupted steps that wind straight up the side of a mountain, raising us to 1200 meters above sea level. They are steep, slippery, and relentless but boy were they were it! The sense of completion, accomplishment, and satisfaction boosts the endorphins and all that lactic acid build up, all that pain in the calves seems to just melt away. Knowing you have done it for a cause as important as Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service makes it all the more meaningful.

Because of the rain the final descent was more washed out than usual so some of us backtracked to our starting point to avoid the particularly dangerous downhill while others carried on past the "no tourists beyond this point" sign. Their path wound even further up, reaching the apex of The Ox's horn before plunging back into the valley on a less than ideal goat track. We rejoined each other at the guesthouse, where the celebrations began.

From 4pm until bedtime we barbecued in the shadows of the Great Wall. we toasted to new friendships, new experiences, and new bottles of beer. We chewed on chicken feet, we choked down more baijiu, and we laughed. Mostly at Rodney. As day turned to night and the cold moved us inside, we found ourselves in a circle talking about what brought us on this adventure.

Everyone had been directly or indirectly affected and just as the organization itself is one of, by, and for the community so too was this group. There were tears, there was trust, and there was resolve to carry on advocating for the Rescue Helicopter once we got back to Australia. By the end of the night we had developed a political action plan to bring the emergency call unit back to Newcastle. Watch out New South Wales government. If this group can climb, fundraise, and drink as well as they do I have no doubt they will be a force to reckon with!!!

This element of camaraderie and team spirit is probably my favorite aspect of our Inspired Adventures. You can take 14 near strangers, chuck them in a foreign land together, and within days they will think like a team, act like a family, and joke like lifelong friends. It is truly life-changing.

For us it is now back to Beijing for more sites, sounds, and tastes of China. Go Team Chopper!!!

These Boots Were Made For Steppin'

2011-10-12T10:22:00.001-05:00

As our bus pulled away from the hotel we had only one thought in mind: "RAIN RAIN GO AWAY!" The further we drove, the bigger the drops became. All signs were pointing toward a very wet day until, miraculously, just as we had all rugged up and waterproofed ourselves, the clouds burned off, the drops dried up, and we were all rushing to de-rug and de-waterproof before the intense greenhouse effect set in.

Breakfast left us all a bit wanting (hard boiled eggs, soy sauce rice, anda wide selection of odd accompaniments just didn't quite hit the spot) so we made a quick pit stop for bananas. They are a whopping 25 cents per kilo. Really breaking the bank!

Within minutes we had met our climbing buddies for the day - an army of Chinese women who speak brilliant English, escort and supervise our every step, and turn into mobile shopping malls at the end of the day. In the spirit of our team's tradition of buying everything in sight, we bought everything in sight. This group of 14 may be singlehandedly response for China's 4th quarter growth rate of 9%.

Today's theme was most certainly steps. Steps up, steps down, steps over, steps around. There were big steps and small steps, wide steps, and narrow steps. When there weren't steps there were ledges. Big scary ledges whose edges plunged anywhere from 25 to 500 meters into the valley below. In a moment of excitement Nicole decided to head near the edge for photo. Our team Moms, Lorraine and Darryl, were less than amused and in there ever so adorable Yorkshire accent yelled out to her, "Give over! Come back over here you silly little thing before I bop you on the nose."

Crisis averted, we carried on finishing our shorter but more challenging walk in just over four hours. From there it was onward to lunch, where the lovely restaurant owner (the same gentleman who had cooked up a mean goat the night before) had ice cold beers waiting for a beleaguered and hungry bunch of Aussies! Nothing that entertaining happened save for Rod being his usual irritating self. Just kidding Rod!

We made a quick pit stop in a teeny tiny village where every horizontal surface was covered in drying corn. It was a bit of a "first foreigners" situation, with children and adults looking at us with both intrigue and confusion. Rod, Peter, Andy, and Brendon made a valiant effort to entertain the children at the local primary school before being sent to detention by a very well-dressed headmaster. Paul sat pondering life and love with new mate (pictured), which was great because the rest of us were really getting sick of him. Just kidding Paul!

There was one more pit stop to be made before getting to the hotel and my goodness, was it popular. Why, you ask? Because we could shop! Cookies, crackers, crisps, ice creams, candy, soda (yes we are a healthy bunch), dried fruit, razors, underwear, socks, and NINE bottles of Baijiu have now joined our ever-heavying bus. As I said, if it's not attached to the ground it will be bought!

Dinner was surprisingly low key and now we're off to bed with our biggest walk yet coming tomorrow!!! GO TEAM!!!

Choppers put the TEAM in Teamwork!

2011-10-11T11:17:00.001-05:00

Day 3 of our challenge and we were off for our second of five big days trekking on the wall. That's right, 16 kilometers, 6 hours, plus a whole lot of steps, perilous drops, bladder malfunctions, and demands for ice cold things (beverages, cream, hearts, etc.). The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the temperature was getting up there which meant twice the challenge! Still, this group took it in stride.

The magic of autumn was out in full force today. The brilliance of the wall was set against the vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds of the changing leaves underneath a backdrop of radiant blue skies and puffy white clouds. With every step the scenery seemed to change drastically with new angles, viewpoints, and perspectives to be viewed, photographed, and appreciated.

All this beauty helped to keep our minds off the grueling track that lay ahead of us. The other thing that kept us occupied were group songs performed by what we are now calling the International Rescue Chopper Chamber Choir. Led by lead singer Shell Bell and backed up by the spotlight loving Lorraine along with the Chang Chang Chorus Line (Chang Chang is Chinese for Great Wall) our finest work was seemingly prompted by the strangest of circumstances. Brendon mentioned he felt a bit of vertigo while climbing down some enormous steps. Cue U2's "vertigo." Hello hello...Shell Bell pointed out her shoes were made for walking and the group, in unison, chimed in: "that's just what they'll do. One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over the Wall!"

Two hours along an unrestored section of the wall our journey led us down into a fantastic valley of small farms, big trees, and a pathway dotted with numerous wells. We kept Water Closet as far away from them as possible. Upon reaching the bottom it was back upward to the wall, the fall colors surrounding us on all sides. After a pit stop for some cold sodas and pineapple ice lollies (yes, even out in the middle of nowhere you can get fruit-flavored Popsicles) we rejoined the wall at a more restored section called Jinshaling. Two hours further it was back down off the wall and onward to a much deserved dinner. After all, we had been trekking for over six hours!

Earlier in the day Michael our local guide (nicknamed Louie after his Chinese name, which translates as "fly") had arranged for a 45 kilogram Billy goat named Larry to be barbecued in traditional Aussie style for our dining pleasure. Our stomaches had been growling since 3pm so goat we did eat. True to Australian form the women sat around the table gas bagging while the men ended up crowded around the barbecue talking about how they would have cooked up that goat, pretending like they knew what the heck they were talking about.

We finished the day the way we always finish it: by passing the "daily superstar" bracelets on. Each evening 3 people are given bracelets by their fellow teammates for being awesome during the day. The next day, those selected then pass them on to whomever they think deserves them. It's a great way to be reminded of why we are all here and highlight the excellent teamwork of those individuals who particularly shined.

If today can be defined by anything, it's teamwork. Paul, Peter and Rodney were phenomenal all day in assisting Nicole on her journey climbing the Great Wall. Despite her fused ankle and titanium rod that lines her right leg, she took every step with purpose and determination with the three lads there to assist when she needed that extra helping hand.

Meanwhile, the Michelles, Sandy, Lorraine, and Darryl seem to have formed what they are calling the "Fab Five" of tough ladies who help each other up, over, and through the more precarious bits of our journey. More specifically this support usually comes in the form of pushing each other's bums up, over, and through the more precarious bits of the wall. Their initiation process also seems to involve the placement of hands on bums for a preset amount of time, which is perhaps why the others haven't yet joined this very exclusive rag-tag bunch of renegades. Perhaps we'll have the courage tomorrow.

As for the rest of us, we are not pledging any allegiances just yet. The are still several days to go and we have no doubt the rival gangs will only improve their membership offers. Until then, we will all just continue to pretend we are living West Side story. For now, it's off to bed in our hilarious and quite quirky hotel (where Chris and Michelle have decided to act as living statues).

Onward!

Team Chopper Head To The Wall

2011-10-10T20:59:00.001-05:00

Today we were up by 7 and steamrolling out of Beijing by 8:30 on our massive bus compete with endless bottled water, a clock exactly 2 hours off, and an inability to maintain a reasonable temperature. It was either an arctic tundra or the Simpson desert on board. By steamrolling I mean crawling ever so slowly along highways, byways, and backroads, over sidewalks, farmers, and small children. I don't think any of us have ever seen this level of roadside chaos. The cacophony of honking horns (which came in all sounds, volumes, and tones) was, at times, deafening.

Eventually skyscrapers became medium size buildings which devolved into single story homes and shops before completely disappearing into an endless abyss of corn fields. All of a sudden we were in a very different China. A China of dirt roads, street markets, and ox-pulled carts.

Our first stop was the ancient Qing Tombs, where we had another of our local guide Michael's brilliant history lessons about the life, times, and drama of the middle kingdom's last dynasty. It was like Home and Away meets the Rudd/Gillard government: "Susie said to Annie, 'no I am the emperor's favorite concubine. He told me last night after he revealed that you are actually his secret mother's adopted step child.' Meanwhile, back at the palace, the evil Empress dowager was plotting to roll the current ruler to replace him with her own adopted son.". So much drama!

Lunch brought more delicious food as well as a return to the art of squatting for Darryl, Lorraine, Sandy, and Michelle, who found themselves in a long row of half-walled stalls passing tissue paper down the line. What troopers!

The afternoon found us taking our very first steps on the great wall. As with every group I have joined on this adventure, the look on people's faces as they take in their first sweeping views of the wall stretching as far as the eye can see in either direction is priceless. Indeed, there is no place on earth quite like it and still no picture I have ever seen that fully captures it's extraordinary nature. Special shout out to Nicole, who did a brilliant job conquering day one of our challenge. You go girl!

Following check-in at our guesthouse the group decided pre-dinner happy hour was in order. That happy hour turned into a happy evening as the group sampled a selection of the nation's finest national spirit, called Baijiu. I would describe its taste as somewhere between moonshine and lighter fluid. We did it the traditional way: standing up and shouting yi, er, san, gambei, which translates as 1, 2, 3, Cheers! It was after a few rounds that people's true colours began to shine through. It is in these truthful moments that Aussies love to hand out nicknames and our group was no different.

So, here we go:

Nicki Lee - Dicky Lee, for her brilliant effort

Sandy - H.E., as she arrived from Bangkok (you work it out)

Agnes - Freddo, as she is our Franco-Aussie

Darryl - Precious, for obvious reasons, she says

Rodney - Chili, In honor of his love of spicy food (which is so intense, it brings tears to his eyes)

Peter - Squirrel, for equally obvious reasons

Chris - Tiger, for his ravenous spirit and uber-manliness

Michelle - Pom, because she secretly is one

Paul - Pauly, after famed comedian Pauly Shore

Ben - Bobby Bouchet, in honor of his Waterboy status having brought 8 liters with him

Brendon - Tubby, because he is, well, Tubby

Michelle - Water closet, because after she decided to skip out on a less than ideal toilet she stepped into what she thought was a bush and it turned out to be a 2 meter deep hole. We almost lost her to China!

Lorraine - NaiNai, which is Chinese for grandma because she takes such good care of us (like when she advised Michelle to step into a giant hole)

Andy - Undy, thanks to a little incident at the massage parlor that involved a slight misunderstanding, leaving Andy digging through his bag for an extra pair of pants while his masseuse darted down the hall screaming due to emotional distress and trauma.

Kyle - Captain Awesome again, for obvious reasons

To bed now as we have a very bit walk ahead of us tomorrow. Until then, GO TEAM!

WRHS Team Chopper Has Landed - With Pics

2011-10-09T21:59:00.001-05:00

After 15 hours, three airports, and one very frantic plane change in Hong Kong that involved matching stickers and secret doorways, the WRHS Team Chopper landed safe and sound in Beijing. We dropped bags at the hotel and, within 15 minutes, hit the mean streets of Beijing's hutongs for some delicious street food and traditional Chinese beer (it's just beer). It was over a plate of sweet and sour pork that I learned Ben had brought 8 litres of water with him from Australia. Yes, EIGHT LITRES. Why, might you ask? Because there was room in his bag so why not? Plus, whats better than a thirst-quenching bottle of Mount Franklin water when you are way out in remote China? Nothing, thats what! I knew with this level of energy so early in the piece, it was GAME ON.

The next morning we we're on the bus by 8:15 and battling the onslaught of hawkers at the Temple of Heaven by half past. While some teams are defined by their love of strange foods or desire to photograph everything 900 times, this group was clearly making a name for themselves in the shopping department. It if it not screwed to the ground and can be bought, it will be bought! Postcards, coin purses, books, bags, watches, and more will all now call Australia home and it has only been one day.

Touring the Temple of Heaven was brilliant. The fog and light breeze left the weather just right for exploring the spectacular buildings and leafy parklands. One of the early purchase highlights was a Chinese hackysack. It has a heavy metal base and multi-colored feathers. You are meant to kick it on the inside of your foot and pass it across a circle while Chinese people watch and laugh at how terrible you are at it. I posed the "10 in a row" challenge and the whole group accepted. To my chagrin, this lot were brilliant! So brilliant in fact that Chinese people actually wanted to play with us! 40 minutes later we were the life of the party which was sadly cut short by a need for the bathroom and a noodle lunch.

Perhaps one of the most exciting adventures of the Great Wall of China challenge is that first time one uses a squatter toilet. While Darryl and Michelle were fine, poor Lorraine was unsure of both her footing position and which direction to face. In the end she went with bum out so as to not be recognized should someone swing the door open. Good call Lorraine!

After lunch we headed to the Forbidden City where, outside, Nicole was approached by a young boy who clearly had an affection toward the mother of two. She swooped him up into her arms and posed for roughly 7,000 photos as locals and tourists alike snapped away. She and I contemplated stealing him and taking him back to Australia (due to his adorableness) but decided against it for reasons that now seem rather obvious. At one point we literally said to each other, "we will probably get into a lot of trouble, right?" Probably? Really?

Our afternoon at the Forbidden City was fantastic and once again the group were back on the prowl to buy as much Chinese paraphernalia as humanly possible. So far so good. Following our visit we had a short beak to rest our feet and shower before diving into a brilliant dinner of genuine roasted Peking duck. Poor Rodney is highly affected by spicy foods in that they make him cry nonstop and eliminate his ability to form thoughts and sentences. As such, we make sure to lie and tell him green chilis are green beans so we can watch his face turn bright red. Friendly lot, aren't we?

The night came to a close following a spectacular acrobatics show, a 90 minute massage, and a leisurely stroll through the backstreets of our neighborhood. Tomorrow it's onward to the Great Wall with the above lot of socially deviant shopaholics along wit Sandy, Agnes (our fiery Franco-Aussie), Brendon, the other Michelle, Chris, Peter, Paul, and Andrew.

Let's get climbing!

-Kyle

China [Travel] Moment

2011-10-08T11:28:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I was nearly foiled by China in my attempt to get from Shanghai to Beijing. Yes, in a matter of just 30 minutes I had an extended "China moment" that involved subway trains, buses, automobiles, planes, and one fiery old lady.

It started at 8:45am when I left for the airport. A 5-minute walk brought me to the subway station which is on the same line as the airport. "How easy is that," I asked myself rhetorically. Not so easy, actually. The next train was in 18 minutes. Fair enough on a holiday week. I waited with big backpack, daypack, and computer bag in tow thinking about how funny my legs look in floppy linen shorts and massive trekking boots. The train arrived and I stepped on to find that this particular car was traveling to a different end station and not going via the airport.

I quickly darted off to discover that the next train, which was going to the airport, wasn't coming for another 18 minutes! That wasn't good because I had to check in at least 45 minutes before my flight; the deadline for which was in 32 minutes. Quick math ("18 minutes until the train then 25 on the train then 7 walking...") confirmed my worst nightmare (missing a flight, which I have never done thanks to my usually arriving 2-3 DAYS before departure). If I stayed here I was a goner.

Hoisting my massive backpack on my back, daypack on my front, and computer bag over my shoulder I waddled back up the escalator, through the exit, and out to the street where, miraculously, there was a bus stopped that read "Hongquiao Airport" on the front! I hopped right on, the driver confirmed my good fortune, and we took off! "All is well," I thought.

Two blocks later all was not well. Either the bus had run out of gas or it was attempting to charge up to reach light speed because we were stoppin' then zoomin' like nobody's business. The driver pulled the now dying vehicle over, opened the door, got off, and just started walking down the street shaking his pristine white gloves in the air. We all looked at each other in dismay It only took 30 seconds to realize what was coming next: a battle royale to get the first taxi to the airport.

I once again sherpa-ed up, bags hanging on every limb. A pint-size elderly Chinese woman shoved me to one side to make a run for it. In my current top-heavy state I was an easy target and tipped right over. As I lay there in a pile of overpriced lifetime warranty nylon and canvas bags, zippers flying every which way, I had a realization: this isn't Kansas anymore. This is China. GAME. ON.

The adrenaline began to pump through my veins. I used this newfound superhuman strength to pull myself up, swat a few small children to the side, and find that women to claim my revenge. As I exited the bus I could see her in the distance. Her greying bouffant was a near perfect circle and didn't move even a smidgen as she waved her hands in the air while simultaneously checking over her shoulder for cab-hailing competition. My waddle became a gallop as our eyes locked and I began to wave my arms in the air at an equally frantic rate.

As an aqua cab rounded the bend, it's "available" light shining brightly, I knew this was my moment. I could give it up to her in the spirit of American kindness and perhaps miss my flight or I could crush her, claim victory, and get to the airport on time. As they say, when in Rome...

My gallop became an all-out run-waddle-hop-skip-jump and I waved my arms madly. Bouffant made a hard left and quickly turned her power strides into a "poor old lady shuffle." She was clearly playing the sympathy card to the driver. I wasn't fooled and the driver clearly didn't care. As I swung the back door open and launched my bags inside she headed for the front window, a "poor me" look slapped on her face in an attempt to steal my cab. Mind you, this is the woman who, 2 minutes earlier, had knocked over a grown man carrying no less than 100 pounds of luggage.

One leg hanging out the door I yelled at the driver to go and we zoomed away, leaving evil granny in the dust. I turned back to find that her face had turned into a smile and she was giving me a thumbs up. No matter how heated, Chinese people still have the innate ability to reward an all-out adoption of their ways. I could tell she was quite proud.

Sadly, karma is a pain and five minutes later we were in bumper to bumper traffic behind another bus that had broken down. Rather than pull to the side of the road the driver instead decided to park across all four lanes of traffic in an apparent attempt to ruin everyone's day. The clock was ticking and I was getting restless, begging the driver to do something - ANYTHING. Naturally, as we're in China, he did. The man pulled right up on the sidewalk, passed the bus, plopped us back down on the road, and we sped away, both wearing a very satisfied grin.

I got to the check-in desk exactly 47 minutes prior to departure, cut the line all the way to the front (as you do in China), shoved my passport across the desk, whipped my bag onto the belt, and nabbed the last window seat. Kyle - 1, China - 0. On board I was greeted by an adorable 8-year-old who was so intrigued with my iPad he decided he'd rather sit on my lap and play angry birds than enjoy his very own seat. As we landed in Beijing and his dad told him to give it back to me, he looked at me with the saddest face I have ever seen and spent the next several minutes attempting to sucker me into giving it to him. I tell you what, it almost worked. If you could have seen that face!

Now I'm safe and sound in Beijing and very proud to have one what can only be described as one of the greatest battles to claim victory over a China moment in recorded history. As for that old lady, I ran into her in the terminal 20 minutes later. She waved kindly and gave me another thumbs up. It clearly hadn't occurred to either of us to just share the cab. What's the fun in that?

--

Kyle Taylor

Time To Donate: Everest Bast Camp & London Marathon For Cancer Research

2011-10-06T02:16:00.000-05:00

As of three days ago I am officially trekking to Everest Base Camp and running the London Marathon for Cure Cancer, an amazing research charity. One in two families are touched by cancer in their lifetime and Cure Cancer is determined to improve prevention, detection and treatment outcomes to reduce the suffering caused by cancer.

For over a year I have watched as people from around the world raised thousands and thousands of dollars through my work at Inspired Adventures. Now, it's time for me to put myself in their shoes and raise some money! I'll be trekking through Nepal to Everest Base Camp in February and running the London marathon April 22nd. You know me - either go big or go home!

Online donation site: http://www.tinyurl.com/kylecure2012

I've chosen cancer research because it's personal. I've lost dear relatives, close friends have lost partners, and friends themselves are currently battling this horrible disease. Nothing I take on can compare to their challenge but I want to do something to help. I am a fan of Cure Cancer because they fund young and innovative researchers who are approaching cancer research from new and interesting perspectives.

By helping me reach my goal of $10,000 you will assist my team of runners in FUNDING A CANCER RESEARCHER FOR A YEAR. That’s right, just the ten of us runners together will - through your support - fund a cancer researcher for an entire year! It is my hope that we can all help them find a key to a cure.

This challenge isn't about me and what I want to do is make it about those people who you are donating in support, memoriam, or honor of. With their fight, challenge, victory, and tragic loss in mind, I will take them with me to Everest and to London:

$65 Donation - I'll put their name and your name on my banner that I'll fly at Everest Base Camp. It will read: "I'm trekking for: ______"

$110 Donation - I'll put their name on my marathon jersey that will read: "I'm running for:______"

$500 Donation - Let's talk! I'll do whatever you want.

Join me on this epic journey by donating $65, $110, or anything you can to help unlock a key to a cure and hopefully save lives. We can do it! You can donate online right here:

Online donation site: http://www.tinyurl.com/kylecure2012

As always, I’ll be blogging about my progress for both challenges as well as about the current adventures I am leading in Asia.

It's go time!

Kyle Taylor

Turning Bad To Good, Then Paying It Forward

2011-09-30T09:54:00.000-05:00

And this is part three, the final flashback. Rock. On.

When I first started traveling and meeting young people, I was shocked by the power and spirit of our youngest Venturers – 12 and 13 year-olds who were articulate, passionate and driven. Now, 10 months later, it seems more like the norm, especially up North. First it was Jessica in Seattle and now it’s three young women in Burnsville, Minnesota (just south of Minneapolis/St. Paul) who have turned their own life struggles into positive change for their communities.

We braved the cold (do you think you know what cold is? Well, unless you’ve been to Minnesota in the winter, complete with blistering wind, I’m going to have to say you don’t) and headed south to The Garage, a Burnsville community center where middle school and high school kids can hang out, hold group meetings, get homework, play video games and throw their own concerts, all entirely free. The center itself was a perfect model for what every community in America should be doing to support at-risk youth; give them a safe space to interact and express themselves in a positive manner.

Minutes after walking through the doors, multiple people approached us with questions and inquiries about their soon-to-be Ventures. The local reps were local celebs, with information they sought. I kept hearing, “I want to start a program for this and I need that,” and “I have this idea but I don’t know what to do next.” I sensed this general attitude among people at The Garage that doing something positive for their community was less the exception and more the rule. “Oh yeah, everybody is in something that does good stuff,” one girl told me. “Why wouldn’t we be?”

After fielding a solid 30 minutes of questions I sat down with three of the local superstars to learn more about their Ventures. The first, Latinos Unidos, was a group set up to offer an outlet and community support for Latino youth in the community. “It’s a great way to build a sense of togetherness and understanding between us,” the current leader told me. “I think it’s so important to have that outlet, and I want to give that to people here.”

The second, called Girl’s Support Group, was set up for young women in the community to have a place to air their problems and differences while offering a safe space to share their own personal struggles. “I’ve been through a lot – probably more than most 30-year-olds and I’m only 12. I had so much anger and I needed an outlet – a place I could share what I was bottling up inside. This lets me do that, and it feels good to offer the same to the rest of the girls here. We do our best to avoid drama, but hey, we’re teenage girls. It’s normal,” she said. “At least this way we’re dealing with it.”

The third, formerly called Show Stoppaz (they are currently coming up with a new name and seem to be working through a Prince-like state of “formers” and simple, “the group”) came around to offer a positive outlet for young girls and boys to both express themselves and gain ownership over something. “I’ve been through a lot too,” the current leader said, “and the only time I felt happy for a long while was when I was dancing. A lot of other people around here feel the same way, and it also just feels good to be looked up to by people and know that what I’m doing is helping them.” Their next goal? Start competing across the state and across the country.

More than anything, The Garage shows exactly what happens when you tip the attitudes of an entire community. Expectations change and young people respond, demanding more of not just themselves, but everyone around them. Indeed, it has definitely become a culture of positive action, and I hope it serves as inspiration for other groups to give youth the same opportunities.

Seattle Supersonics? How About SuperChangemakers?!?!

2011-09-29T12:37:00.000-05:00

Part two of a three-part "young people are still awesome" series. This kids are AWESOME!

Corny, I know, but pretty darn true. Malena and I just wrapped up three days in the Space Needle City (you know, it’s not that tall…), complete with delicious pasta, a visit to Pike’s Fish Market (they really launch those fish), lakes, trees, mountains, general fantasticness (can you tell I liked the place) and some absolutely incredible teams.

The first was started by a college fraternity called Sigma Beta Rho. They’ve partnered with the city’s homelessness reduction team to support those individuals most in need ofassistance and activity. The agency places mentally and physically handicapped homeless men and women in subsidized housing where they pay a fixed portion of their Social Security benefits toward rent, allowing them to live the rest of their lives in dignity. Still, these individuals lack a great deal of activity in their lives.

Sigma Beta Rho decided to fill that gap by developing community gardens at a number of these facilities across the city. Last year brought one garden and this year they’ll be expanding to five locations, engaging over a hundred college students in their organizations and hundreds of the community’s residents!

The second team, Kill The Chill, has partnered with Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission Homeless Shelter and Rehabilitation Center to provide hand-made scarves and hats to the residents in what has become Seattle’s coldest month – February. “We really saw how donations poor in during Thanksgiving and Christmas but once New Year passes, we seem to forget that there are still people in need. We’re working to fill that gap,” said Julia, the organization’s Director, who also serves as the Key Club President at her high school. So far they’ve donated over a hundred scarves and are planning a round of hats next. “It’s just the right thing to do,” the group explained.

Our final Seattle visit was with a group called Richard’s Rwanda. Started by 12-year-old Jessica last November, Richard’s Rwanda raises money to pay for tuition, books and clothes for girls in Rwanda who suffered from the 1994 genocide. A man named Richard stayed with her family last summer while doing fundraisers in the Seattle area and Jessica was moved by the stories of young girls in the country who did not have access to education. “I just felt like I had been so lucky my whole life, and I wanted to do something to give young women in Rwanda a chance at being powerful leaders in their country,” Jessica told me. So far they’ve raised $7,000 through fundraisers and bake sales.

We actually stopped by one of these fun-filled affairs. Imagine six 12-year-old girls behind a table covered in cookies, brownies and lemon bars selling for a cause, one of whom was sipping Tab. I mean, Tab? I thought people stopped drinking that in 1986. Their pitch? “Would you like to buy a cookie and support young girls in Rwanda who suffered from the genocide?” How does any decent-minded person say no? Jessica will be returning to Rwanda in August to hand-deliver the money she has raised so far. Her next target? “I want to build a school for girls in the capital city. We’ll get there. I’m confident we’ll get there.” Oh yeah, did I mention she’s twelve?

On to Missoula, Montana next – a pit stop on our northern crossing…more soon!

-Kyle Taylor

Valentine’s Day On The Bay

2011-09-28T09:52:00.000-05:00

I just discovered three very old blog posts (circa 2007) that seem to have never been published! They are from my epic road trip across America with Malena (pictured) on our journey to document the incredible world-changing ventures of young people across America. It may have been four years, but the stories are still super inspiring! Enjoy!

The big February 14th extravaganza started with a catch-up morning and drive into San Francisco from Berkeley. That was, of course, after we went back to Benecia High School so I could pick up my computer power cord I had left there the day before. So far I’ve forgotten an audio cable at a school in LA, my power cord in Benecia and my retainer at the La Quinta (which I later remember and recovered). ON. A. ROLL.

We decided to celebrate the big day by heading to the Golden Gate Bridge to take in the view and “light” sea breeze (read: howling winds that almost through us into the water). It was quite the little photo shoot.

From there it is on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Trasit) and out to Oakland to meet with SHATO, another SAGE team who has launched a computer technology assistance program that works to maintain and expand technology opportunities in high schools throughout Oakland. They do troubleshooting, train teachers and even build computers, all for the sake of making sure kids in their community are tied into the information age. Just as a sidebar, they showed up DRESSED TO IMPRESS – suits, ties and skirts. I felt like I was at an IBM conference.

What’s so inspiring about their work is that they’re taking action in a community where change and action aren’t exactly the norm – yet. Oakland, as they told me, is one of America’s most struggling cities, and “kids don’t think good stuff is possible for them, so they don’t try hard and they don’t believe they can do better.” Their technology teacher new better and challenged them to push the envelope. “It all started so we could prove him wrong, and now we all believe we can do better. Two years ago college wasn’t something we talked about, and now it’s like, ‘where are you going to college? It’s real. It’s a reality.”

Talk about the power of being a changemaker! Not only are they are impacting their schools, fellow students and communities, but they’ve changed their own attitudes and redefined their own futures. It don’t get much better than that.

Ok, north we go – My friend’s Llama farm in Oregon is our next pit stop. Woo!

America the Beautiful

2011-09-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

I spent just under a month in America this last go around. For the first time ever I genuinely felt like a visitor. I think for the most part that feeling has come from watching the political unravelling of what was once the world's beacon of democracy. Crowds cheering at the mention of executing hundreds of people in Texas, presidential candidates suggesting they will roll back civil liberties that have already been granted, politicians holding the future of America hostage to score some points with their base while letting the nation rot in financial turmoil. It was all just way too much for me and I felt like, from abroad, I didn't even recognize my own homeland.

Thankfully, an adventure criss-crossing from north to south and east to west by plane, train, and convertible mustang reminded me of just how "American" I am with regular glimmers of hope in an otherwise depressing scene. For the first time I got a real look at the Statue of Liberty and was reminded of its brilliant inscription:

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

I thought to myself, "now THAT is America."

There was the natural beauty of Utah and the downhome charm of the wild west. Lovely people of all shapes, colors, and sizes who would go out of their way to say hello and lend you a helping hand. That too, was my America.

I stood at the steps of the memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. days after its opening and was reminded of America's ability to change because of our American ability to come together, to protest, and to voice our opinion. Once again, my America.

I watched a good friend take center stage in a brilliant and compelling dance production that merged politics, classical art, and modern movement into a spectacular piece of performance art in a way that only America could do.

Finally, I sat and watched two very close friends marry set against the backdrop of magnificent Santa Fe, New Mexico thinking to myself, I can be certain that in America, equality for all will come because progress is inevitable and we have never been a nation that steps backward. It gave me hope that perhaps someday in the future I would once again recognize my country even from the other side of the world and be able to cite it as an example of how to do things well.

As I was sitting in the airport waiting for my onward flight to China a news clip rolled about the just-happened Republican debate. The looney unchecked statements, the frightening backwards positions on equal rights, and the blatant lies were blasting through and all I could think was "what America do these people live in because it's certainly not the one I just spent a month visiting." The hate, the anger, the discrimination, and the stupidity were downright frightening and quite frankly, I've had enough of it. It's time to save our country from the onslaught of absurdity, the doom of stagnation, and the era of praising ignorance. It's time to take America back. BRING IT.

On a lighter note, you can find all my pictures on flickr here:

New York City, Utah, Washington DC, Santa Fe, Justin Giles' Soul Escape Starring Amy Nadeau

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Kyle Taylor

Read more at kyletaylor.com

A Very San Fraditi Birthday

2011-09-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

The entire America experience finished by surprising dear Aditi in San Francisco for her birthday. This wasn't any old surprise party! I was supposed to be in China but instead popped out of the kitchen at the last minute. Sarah was supposed to be in New York but instead appeared at a bar out of the blue. Mariel was supposed to be in Philadelphia but instead lined up to buy a cookie behind her. Once again, it was no single-evening affair. The party spanned four days, five venues, and once again included a convertible mustang (for the wine tasting and scenic coast drive, naturally). There was also the obligatory "Kyle Taylor/Aditi Fruitwala looking ridiculously happy in the kitchen at a house party" photo taken (see below).

The other brilliant thing about spending a few days in San Fran was that it reinvigorated my belief that there is something left in America for me. While LA, Utah, NYC, DC, and NM were wonderful, none of them felt like they could ever be home. SF, however, felt easy, comfortable, and like it could be a potential "fit." Now that felt nice. So alas, maybe there is some America in my future! In the meantime, it's just mustangs and memorable moments.

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Kyle Taylor

Read more at kyletaylor.com

Chinese Washing Machine - 1, Kyle - 0

2011-09-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

Okay seriously, why are there so many buttons on this thing? If I push the green one my t-shirt goes swimming. If I push the pink one a clock races through the air, wind trail marks and all. If I push the blue one my t-shirt appears to be placed in a hermetically sealed bubble for safe keeping. The only words in English on the whole control panel read "Fuzzy Control," so that's a bonus. WHY IS THIS SO HARD?!?!

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Kyle Taylor

Gunjax Gets Hitched in Santa Fe!

2011-09-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

I realize it has taken me forever to actual get on writing about my month in America. I've decided to sum it up in three blog entries, with this being the first. It was absolutely a highlight of my time in America - celebrating the brilliant union of Max and Gunjan (or as Gunjan refers to it, "when my parents pass ownership of me on to my husband"). It was a four-day affair that started with a dinner party way out in Taos, New Mexico at Max's uncle's compound, continued with a rehearsal dinner and drinks in town, crescendoed with the big day and outdoor all-night party in the middle of nowhere, and finished with a tasteful all-you-can-eat champagne brunch at a winery outside of town. Did I mention that all transport took place in a Ford Mustang convertible? How on earth could it get any better?

Here's a quick link to all the photos from the four-day extravaganza. Enjoy!

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Kyle Taylor

Read more at kyletaylor.com

UnTour Shanghai Is All The Rage!

2011-09-20T09:18:00.000-05:00

I've just landed in Shanghai and found two very happy, very committed, and very successful friends who were featured - that's right, FEATURED - by CNN for escaping the recession by moving to China and starting a business there. How cool is that?

They have started a brilliant culinary and running tour company called "Untour." I highly recommend a visit to their delicious website and if you ever find yourself in Shanghai, drop them a line. The noodle tour is just DIVINE.

Big congrats Kyle and Jamie!

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Kyle Taylor

Team Black Dog Does China: Day 5

2011-09-15T20:34:00.001-05:00

Waking up today was somewhat bittersweet. Yes we got to take on another spectacular section of the Great Wall but today would be our final encounter with it's wonder, majesty, and all-around awesomeness. Were we really nearing the end already? It had all been moving a bit too fast for our liking.

The bus dropped us in the heart of a small village right at the base of the hill, which looked far more like a mountain. From there we walked upward. And upward. And upward along a skinny paved path that seemed to tilt upward at roughly, say, an 87 degree angle. Little trucks and tractors zoomed by, raising the question of whether or not it would be alright to hop in back and ride up to the wall itself. "No," we said. This is a charity challenge and we are here to kick some great wall butt for Black Dog!

The paved path devolved into an off-road slippery, rocky track that the group had nicknamed "goat tracks." Still, upward we went deep into the fog (or smog, no one can be sure) for a solid 90 minutes before catching our first glimpse of the wall itself. It wasn't a slow and steady appearance either. Instead it was more of a BOOM, there is the bloody Great Wall of China!

We ducked through a small pathway and up onto the wall itself. As Unfazed Beauty (Vicki) turned her head to see the stairs that meandered up and over the ridge ahead she turned to me and said "Kyle, what are you trying to do? Kill me?" Actually, she said something entirely different but I can't reprint it here. In fact, it can probably never be reprinted anywhere ever but you catch my drift.

The rest of the group had begun their upward sojourn of what we would soon count to be just over 1,000 steps in total, climbing from 500 meters to 1,000 meters above sea level! Now let me break this down for you. That is the equivalent of climbing the staircase of a 100-story building. How is THAT for exercising your mood?!

The look of relief, success, and sheer joy on the team's face at the top was incredible. It felt like a serious success and the entire team - Amy, Tracy, Libby, Jules, Geraldine, Hayley, Stef, Sam, Nick, and Vicki all looked so relieved, so happy, and so sweaty. My goodness it was humid! Naturally, Vicki our Unfazed Beauty still looked as if nothing had happened.

From there it was up and over an even higher ridge, down a bend, across a valley, and up to another tower perched at the highest point of this section of the wall. This last spot offered some of the most spectacular views of the Great Wall on our entire trip and it was the perfect place to begin our decent, which was a slip-sliding good time. A recent rain storm had left the track quite slick, which left Libby on her bum more than once. Meanwhile, Stef continued her trend of odd short-term injuries. First it was a mosquito bite on her face. This time around it was a fire ant bite to her right thumb. Don't worry, she recovered just fine! Special shout out to Jules, Libby, Nick, and Geraldine for doing an incredible job of supporting Amy (our Barbie girl scared of heights and descents) all the way to the bottom. We really have become a team and it just feels great!

At this stage we had been walking just under 7 hours. Nearly the entire group opted to continue on another two and a half hours to another section of the wall, where they rock-climbed up and on to a very unrestored and very remote section of the wall before descending back into the valley and into our guesthouse.

Tonight would be our furthest departure from our creature comforts. No hot water, no western toilets, no air conditioning, and no towels (oops, we forgot those too!). Thankfully, the beer flowed freely and we were able to both make and devour our very own egg and chive dumplings!

The evening brought about fantastic discussion about our favorite travel spots, our least favorite travel spots, stories of love and broken hearts, reflections on enduring relationships, wisdom from the more experienced to the less experienced, and reminders of our seemingly never ending stream of inside jokes. This element of familiarity and fast friendship is probably my favorite aspect of our Inspired Adventures. You can take 10 near strangers, chuck them in a foreign land together, and within days they will think like a team, act like a family, and joke like lifelong friends. No doubt there will be plenty of post-trip reunions happening. I believe the first is already set, as Vicki has invited all of us out to her place for the weekend. Get ready John, Alex, and Emma. We are coming!!!

--

Kyle Taylor

Location:Fanqi Hwy,Beijing,China

Team Black Dog Does China: Day 4

2011-09-14T10:49:00.001-05:00

If I had to pick a theme for the day, it would be stairs. Stairs up, stairs down, just endless stairs. We awoke prepped for a recovery day of 2-3 hours trekking through the core of Jishanling great wall - a section known for it's steep inclines, plunging descents, and incomparable beauty. A big breakfast of tomato, spam, toast, and eggs left us all wanting though the genuine real-deal espresso machine meant there were 10 very happy, very energized Australians fully caffeinated and ready to climb.

It's difficult to describe what slogging up and down the great wall is like. I take that back. It's actually quite easy. Imagine you are on a stair master climbing up and up and up yet feeling as if you are not really getting anywhere. Now make those steps going both up and done at random intervals. Now make them 60 centimeters tall. Now do that for 5 hours. BOOM, you are ready to take on the great wall!

Thankfully, we had two major advantages today. The first was a group (read: army) of Finnish tourists all kitted out with poles, gloves, bladders, hats, wicking shirts, and so forth wandering aimlessly along one tenth the expanse we were covering. They were truly living the saying "all the gear, no idear." They made us feel even more awesome. After all, we had none of the gear and no idear. At least we're honest.

The second was a genuine army of Hubei farmer's wives who fawned, fanned, and in some cases carried us up, over, around, down and through the day's trekking. They. Were. Legendary. Su-li found our Julie and that became a whole thing: " You are Julie? I am Su-li! No way! Giggle giggle giggle." When we came up short, a few of us would share a local. No pair of us got closer that dear Vicki and her lady friend Julong.

Julong spotted Vicki early on, honed in, and spent the next three hours sweet talking dear Vicki with a helping hand, regular fanning, and colorful chatter. By the end she was calling Vicki her zui pengyou, or very best friend. Before long they felt like part of the group; old friends you share a laugh with over a leisurely stroll along China's famed Great Wall.

Our trekking ended before lunch. We quickly showered and packed, ate lunch with the same local family we had dined with the night before, and hopped on the bus to zoom onward. This afternoon we had a few hours of free time, which found the now well-trained group wandering around the hotel aimlessly asking me "Kyle, what do I dooooooo??? I don't know how to plan my own time now. Entertain me Kyle! Entertain me!"

We finished the night with yet another incredible dinner, wonderful conversation, and a game of spoons. Word to the wise: don't play spoons with a group of high-functioning type-A charity challenge participants. It can lead to minor flesh wounds, hurt feelings, and someone laying bum-up on the floor after having been thrown from the circle while searching for a spoon. And that's before the game even starts!

Todays special shout-out goes to Stef, who pushed through despite a very swollen good knee and used a bag of frozen dumplings as an ice pack in the absence of the real deal. Doing it all for Black Dog! Onward to our longest and most intense trek tomorrow. GO TEAM!

--

Kyle Taylor

Location:Mutianyu Rd,Beijing,China

Team Black Dog Does China: Day 3

2011-09-13T11:16:00.001-05:00

As we entered day three, we knew it was about to get serious. Day 1 Wass Beijing, day 2 was our intro to the wall, and day 3 was the real deal: 16 kilometers, 6 hours, 12 people, and 1 incredibly flavorsome satchel of crackers each.

We began by crisscrossing through corn fields as we wound our way up the steep path leading to the Great Wall. Our trek today began on a less restored (read: barely there) section of the wall that is nearly 500 years old. The off-road hiking was tough, with steep inclines and slippery rocks courtesy of a rain storm the day before.

The gang took it in stride, with Vicki continuing her trend of looking perfect regardless of the intensity of our trek, the temperature, or the humidity levels. Stef and Geraldine stayed close together while Julia, Amy, Tracy, and Libby fleshed out the core portion of the group. Both Hayley and Sam (who somehow managed to misplace her boots in a bout of bijou-induced frolicking the night before) trekked right up with our local guide. Pictures were bountiful though it seemed the intensity of the walk combined with misty weather did encourage a touch more focus on the steps ahead.

While everyone did a fantastic job and stuck together, a special shout out goes to Amy who, with the help of several fellow trekkers conquered her fear of heights and kicked some serious great wall booty today. Her nickname is Barbie and we came up with our own rendition of Barbie Girl in her honor:

I'm a Barbie Girl, in a China World
Conquer the Great Wall, Know That I Won't Fall!

A final shout out goes to Nick (doing his J'amaie from Summer Heights High impression here) who entertained us for hours on the bus with his brilliant iPod-assisted versions of Defying Gravity and Grease Lighting. You sir, are a legend. We are all geared up for tomorrow!

GO TEAM!

--

Kyle Taylor

Location:352 Provincial Rd,Chengde,China

Team Black Dog Does China: Volume 2

2011-09-12T09:44:00.001-05:00

Our second full day together at Team Black Dog brought loads more memories, laughs and, of course, PICTURES. Naturally, Vicki (aka Unfazed Beauty) showed up to breakfast looking far too put together for someone about to trek across the Great Wall. After taking on the elevator crowds of the Dongfang Hotel (2 elevators, 500 tourists, the same departure time), we slowly pulled away from the curb and out of bustling Beijing.

You can literally watch as high rises melt away to low rises. The low rises disappear into single-story shops which, before long, devolve into rolling fields, dirt roads, and a return to a more traditional take on modern China. The fact that these two elements of the same society coexist mere miles from each other is not only fascinating but a welcome reminder of just how complex China really is.

Our lengthy bus journey was filled with the sounds of snoring (thank you Amy and Libby), eating (Thank you Geraldine and Julia), political commentary (thank you Stef and Sam), and long drawn out rounds of innuendo involving a camel bak bladder, a new hose, and an unlit mouthpiece that just needed to be sucked on a little bit harder (thank you Vicki).

We toured the Qing tombs, we ate a bountiful lunch, and we determined the best formation from which one can take a picture of someone taking a picture of something taking a picture of someone before finally reaching the wall in the early afternoon.

Just as I had experienced with every person I have ever taken to the Great Wall, jaws dropped, eyes widened, and everyone was incredibly overwhelmed. No photo I have ever seen does the Great Wall justice and to this day it remains the most remarkable site I have ever seen.

We proceeded to snake down it's craggy spine deep into the valley then back up again before finishing our several-hour walk at our hotel - a maze like structure nestled in the foothills alongside the wall itself. Our evening finished with a delectable dinner at a very local restaurant just near our hotel. Both on the way there and on the way back, I hid in the shadows of our building and scared the living daylight out of Vicki. Sometimes, it's the little things. More soon!

--

Kyle Taylor

Location:305 Provincial Rd,Beijing,China

Two Blogs for Black Dog!

2011-09-11T21:06:00.001-05:00

There are two blogs going for Black Dog! You can check the other one too at:

http://blog.blackdog.org.au

Rock on!

--

Kyle Taylor

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Team Black Dog Does China: Volume 1

2011-09-11T21:03:00.001-05:00

It all started at 12:07am. That is the moment Team Black Dog first appeared from the international arrivals terminal and the moment Vicki earned her nickname: Unfazed Beauty. Why, might you ask? Because even after 16 hours of transcontinental travel with a layover and a time change, she still looked as if she was ready to strut down a runway.

While the rest of of were bleary eyed, she bounced through the terminal in her MBTs like a kid in a candy store. A short bus ride later and everyone crashed directly into bed. Our 7:30am start meant every possible sleeping moment had to be utilized to it's fullest.

Not a single person was late for breakfast - a testament to either excitement or the rock-hard bed. After fueling up on eggs, Amy (Barbie), Nick (Ken), Stef (Doctor Awesome), Julia (Doctor Supermodel). Sam (Captain Cool), Libby (Vodka Queen), Geraldine (Balla), Hayley (The Dealmaker), Tracy (Feathers), Vicky (Unfazed Beauty), myself (In The K.N.O.W), and our fearless guide Michael (MCIM, short for Myo-Cardial Infarction Moment) took to Beijing.

Our first photo was of the uncharacteristically blue sky. Or second photo was of the south gate at the Temple of Heaven. Our third photo was of EVERYTHING IN SITE. This group loves to take pictures! Of monuments, of people, of each other, and of other people taking pictures of other people. It's day two and I think we have collectively captured 2,000 moments. Sorry already to those partners and friends who will be sitting through some very lengthy slideshows upon this group's return.

Beyond the brilliant sites of the Temple of Heaven, Tian'an'men Square, and the Forbidden City (note Ken's hair above), we slurped down hand shaved noodles, flashed our "Black Dog" signs in all the right hoods, endeared (aka harassed) the dozens of adorable Chinese kids, found time to play a round of Chinese hacky sack, and even busted a move alongside the dancing and singing elite of China's parks.

Indeed, the sites and sounds of Beijing on the weekend are something to be admired. The group were definitely taken by the sense of community that permeates every level of Chinese culture.

After a brief afternoon break we shared a communal shot of tequila (for warmth, naturally), scarfed down some delicious Peking duck, and enjoyed a brilliant display of acrobatics before once again crashing in our beds. It's off to the wall now! Stay tuned for the next addition of "Black Dog Does China."

--

Kyle Taylor

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Location:Tianzhu St,Beijing,China

Rebecca Armendariz: Legend

2011-09-10T01:45:00.002-05:00

I have a beautiful friend named Rebecca Armendariz. She lost her partner to cancer and it was - to say the least - absolutely devastating. In the wake of his passing, she has written a beautiful piece about their relationship from a data perspective. That is, how hard it is to escape the memories because the data - the history of their life together - will forever be emblazoned on the internet and, in this case, her gmail chat history.

Get a box of tissues ready. It's pretty darn sad. Love you Becca!

Kyle Taylor

Inspired Adventures in the news

2011-09-10T01:32:00.001-05:00

A little more love for Inspired Adventures in the news today! Many thanks and congrats to Janeece Keller on a brilliantly written piece. Now, what inspires you?

--

Kyle Taylor

Heartbreaking

2011-09-02T10:21:00.001-05:00

This really breaks my heart. An incoming freshman at AMerican University (my alma mater) offers her take on volunteerism and identity. The whole thing is just so sad! Do 18-year-olds really feel this way? The title of the blog entry is literally "volunteering is crap." My hope is that 4 years at AU will straighten her out. Here is the link:

http://morethanastupidgirl.tumblr.com/post/9320994105/volunteering-is-crap

--

Kyle Taylor

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Brilliant look at how much government does for us!

2011-07-18T06:24:00.002-05:00

I don't know WHERE this came from so I can't credit it (sent to me in the body of an email) but it's just brilliant. An amazing way to look at how important the government is to just the first 10 minutes of our day. Pass along!

"This morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the US Department of Energy. I then took a shower in the clean water provided by the municipal water supply. After that, I turned the TV to one of the FCC regulated channels to see what the National Weather Service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration determined what the weather was going to be like using satellites designed, built, and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I watched this while eating my breakfast of US Department of Agriculture inspected food and taking drugs which have been determined as safe by the Food and Drug Administration.

At the appropriate time as regulated by the US Congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the US Naval Observatory, I get into my National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approved automobile and set out to work on the roads built by local, state, and federal Departments of Transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the Environmental Protection agency, using legal tender issued by the Federal Reserve Bank. On the way out the door I deposit any mail I have to be sent out via the US Postal Service and drop the kids off at the public school.

After work, I drive my NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to a house which has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and Fire Marshal inspection, and which has not been plundered of all its valuables thanks to the local police department.

I then log onto the internet which was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration and post on freerepublic.com and Fox News forums about how SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD because the Government can't do anything right."

Tiny Town Australia

2011-07-12T15:53:00.001-05:00

About 4 years ago I drove across the spectacular US of A and saw - for the very first time - small town America. Now I find myself having flashbacks in Australia as we drive outside the country's big cities and into the heart of what they call "regional Australlllia."

Roughly 20 miles out of Melbourne, "city" fades away into a brilliant, endless stretch of rolling hills, green farmland, tiny country roads, and adorable "town centers" that usually look a whole lot Iike this. You've got the general store with sells generally everything (the only more complete store in the world that I have ever seen is an alldays or a Kedi in Shanghai). This includes two to three gas pumps that hawk a unique brand of gas in each town that I have generally never heard of.

Next door (generally attached) is a post office with 100 or so post boxes. The is no home delivery of mail. Everybody just comes here to get their deliveries. How adorable is that?

The real charm of all this, of course, is that you are - at any given moment - just minutes away from gorgeous countryside and, in Australia, SPECTACULAR beaches with no people on them. When I say no people I mean NO PEOPLE for miles around in any direction. That leaves copious amounts of space for brilliant photos of both people and the other "personalities" on our trip like the rental car. From here it's further down the [Really] Great Ocean Road with Team SACK (Stafford, Aditi, Cascade, and Kyle). Here are a few more shots of the beaches. Enjoy!

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Dramatic Sea Cliffs, Plunging Gorges, & Endless Farms

2011-07-06T03:20:00.001-05:00

Or how Western Australia is Oregon, Arizona, and Nebraska all at once. We are now just 700 miles north of Perth in a little town called Kalbarri. Within the course of twenty minutes on the highway we have seen dramatic cliffs lining the sea that plunge precipitously into the ocean, rolling fields that carry on for miles in every direction, and deep red rock valley gorges complete with waterfalls, jagged cliffs, and kangaroos splashing about. It feels like all of the USA packaged up into travel size portions and plopped down right next to each other. In short, it is spectacular. Western Australia is SPECTACULAR. My only real frustration is that we have to turn around and go back to Perth instead of continuing north to Darwin. It just seems to get better and better...Some additional photos below, along with Aditi express our general happiness about the entire experience (pictured with one of about a dozen rainbows we have seen this trip).

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Our Children Are Not Speedbumps

2011-07-05T01:38:00.001-05:00

In case you were wondering, the children of motorhome driving, caravan towing, gun toting, fishing loving, liberal voting, salt of the earth Australians in RV parks are not, in fact, speed bumps. If you were confused about this have no fear, as every campground we have stayed in is adorned with an enormous sign right near the entrance that reads "Speed Limit 8. Drive like you're walkin'. Our children aren't speed bumps.". Yes, it is specific to the point of making the speed limit 8. Yes, it says "walkin'." No, children are not speed bumps (apparently). My first thought? What are Australians talking about? Of course children are speed bumps! They also make great bait for fishing, love when you strap them to the luggage rack on the roof, and act as brilliant targets for a game of lawn darts.

Camping in Australia is a cultural experience. That is, it is a culture all it's own. You'd think it was a discount vacation option and you'd be wrong. At $35 a night just for a splotch of dirt 20 feet by 20 feet, you don't do this to save money. You'd think it was about solitude and "getting away from it all.". Again, wrong. It's about big communal barbecues on Thursday, wine tasting Wednesdays, and disco Saturdays in the camp kitchen.

RV parks in Australia are a hustling bustling, social, active community that are more buzzing that Oxford Street in Sydney on a Friday night. To manage one you must have a sense of humor (all types stay in caravan parks), be willing to repeat yourself 100 times per day (bathroom here, code to enter is X, fry up starts at 6, our children are not speed bumps), have long arms (to run the toy car up and along the map of the park in an effort to ensure you do not get lost in a space the size of your front lawn), and have a name like Dolly or Big Pete.

Everyone says hello, everyone has their name on their "rig" (like "Mella Yella" and "Old Man Mac" and "Jim & Julie's Jammin' Jayco), and everyone is up at 6am, which is not ideal for two twenty somethings who are up until all hours watching Lost from start to finish.

As the days go on we have begun to embrace this lovely way of life. We named our rig Sally Jesse Rapha-Camper and we are actively taking photos of it and with it as if it were the third person on our trip. On the way to the bathroom I had a great chat with Rich from down south. "What's under the hood there son," he asked me. "Oh, you know, a 2.4 liter twin valve double cam dual exhaust premium-unleaded loving engine there Rich," I told him. "Nice one," he replied. I have no idea what is under the hood but I do know that "engine" wasn't nearly enough information.

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The Pinnacles

2011-07-04T06:21:00.001-05:00

It seems the further afield you get in Australia, the more interesting - and bizarre - the scenery gets. It's that sense which Bill Bryson described so well when talking about Oz: it's like you've left planet earth in every way - the landscape, the people, the crazy stuff that happens (like the reported detonation of a nuclear bomb by a Japanese fringe cult group 15 years ago that went entirely unnoticed), and the road signs.

We were just 250 miles north of Perth cruising along Indian Ocean Drive (yes, Australia's west coast is on the Indian Ocean) when we came across The Pinnacles. These limestone gems have been formed over literally thousands of years by trees growing then dying then sand flying a round in the wind then tree roots creating casts for shapes the rain then ore sand flying around then tree roots burning in a fire then salt water getting in then ore sand flying around then more rain. Did you get all of that? Basically, there is a lot of sand flying around.

What's left are thousands of little craggy limestone towers poking out of the sand anywhere from 6 inches to 10 feet in the air (with another 20+ feet under the ground). At the end of a 10-mile dirt track there is an amazing brand new museum that talks about their formation and the animals that can kill you - I mean live all around. Following a visit to the museum you take a one-mile walk or a 3-mile drive (we opted for the drive because we have a camper, our fellow walkers would have been weirdo tourists who wanted to chat, and we are incredibly lazy). Good thing we were not in a rush because I tell you what, people like to stop right in the middle of the road for extended periods of time to take pictures, go for a wander through areas marked "do not walk here" and, in one case, take a nap leaning on the steering wheel.

From here it's northward to Kilbarri, whose town slogan is "You'll Love It!". We are fairly certain that yes, we will indeed LOVE IT.

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Perth-tastic

2011-07-01T19:53:00.001-05:00

I wasn't sure what to think upon arriving in Perth. There is that whole tagline of "world's most remote capital city" and "cashed up bogans" (wealthy mining types who make $150,000 a year operating a forklift at a mine and don't know what to do with all that cash). Still, it was on a west coast and I have a certain affection for west coasts of continents.

We arrived at our hotel that I got at bargain basement prices thanks to the Entertainment book. Our view was...spectacular!

After dropping Aditi so she could continue writing copy, I headed into the city (a long drive, I was told by locals). 15 minutes later I was downtown picking up catering, inspecting our conference venue, and admiring the charming, quaint, yet Manhattan-esque central business district. Adorable churches re nestled in-between tall skyscrapers, tram lines whizzed down the center of main street, pedestrian malls were bustling, pubs had cool names like The Swedish Hotel, The Usual, and Belgian Beer Cafe (all amazing).

After I had finished running errands I followed the spectacular coastline all the way back to our hotel where I found the above windsurfer taking in some dawn waves before watching the sun set over the ocean - something I haven't seen in a very long time - in a brilliant show of reds, oranges, and yellows.

Post sundown we whizzed to Freemantle on this, our only free evening, to sip the micro-brew of the world famous bar and restaurant, Little Creatures. This place was AWESOME. Microbrewery attached, cool music, delicious food, multi-level dining, and that funky fabulous LA, San Fran, California vibe all around.

So then, what's the verdict on Perth? It's the little city that could. The best of both worlds ,really. Awesome city center, incredible coastline, and fantastic bars and restaurants yet no traffic, no pollution, and no people or buildings 20 minutes in any direction. I love it. LOVE IT.

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Location:Perth, WA, Australia

M.O.N. (Middle of Nowhere)

2011-06-29T23:58:00.001-05:00

Just a quick word on just how remote it feels out here. You can only find gas every 200 kilometers. Cell phones don't work. There are no radio stations. Other cars are an anomaly. Birds fly low. There are tires hanging in trees. The speed limit is 150 kph. A mice epidemic is wreaking havoc but it's too far and too difficult to do anything about it. Credit card machines are run on dial-up Internet. If you can find a banana, it's at least a week old and has been transported frozen in dry ice. Signs warn of giant reptiles. You are prohibited from driving between dusk and dawn because kangaroos hop across the highway too often. Coke is in glass bottles. Orange juice costs $11 a liter. Gas costs $9 a gallon and you can't pump it yourself. A dinner salad is $21 but a kangaroo burger only costs $12. Beer is cheaper than water. Shoulder pads and perms are fashionable.

Where am I?

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The Sounds of Silence

2011-06-29T10:17:00.001-05:00

There are those experiences - large and small, short and long, personal and professional - that stay with you long after they've happened. Simply being at Uluru had that aura of mystery and significance. We, however, took it one step further with the Sounds of Silence dinner.

The evening starts with a glass of champagne and sunset over Uluru - an otherworldly display of reds, oranges, yellows, and purples set against the brilliant Australian Outback.

The contrast of crocodile, emu, and kangaroo canapés with the endless dirt of the "red center" was further reinforced as we moved to a multi-course dinner set outside under the stars.

Wine, beer, crocodile salad, kangaroo fillets, lamb cutlets, and vegetables were all on offer as was a fantastic lecture on the southern hemisphe's stars and constellations. This was topped off by a glass of port, bread and butter pudding, and a look at Saturn (rings and all) through a Massive telescope.

We were sat at a table with a lovely Australian couple and their 16 year old son as well as an equally delightful American family from Ohio. Topics of conversation included American politics, whale watching, and the best fabrics for hiking. To say it was interesting is a serious understatement.

The entire experience passed with the blink of an eye though I'm certain it will linger for years to come. The center of Australia is just magical.

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Kata Tjuta is pretty great too

2011-06-28T02:18:00.001-05:00

Roughly 40 kilometers west of Uluru lies the site of Kata Tjuta. The holiest site on Earth for aboriginal men, Kata Tjuta is a winding, weaving, staggering collection of 32 rock formations that once again rise out of the Earth with no other natural or man made structures in site. Because their significance can only be known by Anarangu Aboriginal men who have been officially initiated, there is next to nothing I can share about it's meaning. This is not a joke:

What I can tell you is that the 9.4 kilometer walk we took was called the "Valley of the Winds" walk and it was gorgeous. Valleys, peaks, ridges, billabongs, and the like dot the path that led us into, over, out, and around the site. The sound of the wind rustling by was also incredibly atmospheric. Because there is not a whole lot more to say, here are a few more photos:

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Uluru Is Brilliant

2011-06-27T01:51:00.001-05:00

As we head south on the Stuart Highway out of Alice Springs a realization hits us: we are really in the middle of nowhere. The "big city" fades into a brilliant burst of vibrant colors. The deep green of the fauna, the glowing yellow of the brush, the brilliant red of the dirt, and the otherworldly blue of the sky tease your eyes. Indeed, I have never seen colors quite so bright before.

In under an hour there is no sign of civilization save for the highway we're driving on. It's nearly 400km to Uluru and the only stops between here and there are the roadhouse town of Erldunda and two working cattle stations that also sell gas - Mount Ebenezer and Castle Springs. There is no cell service, the radio only tunes in to static, and the last car we saw passed going the other direction about an hour ago. This is really the middle of nowhere.

Slowly but surely the kilometers tick away and we get closer and closer to Uluru. As is true with any wonder of the world there is always the fear that the build up may in fact ruin the actual site itself. Fortunately after driving four hours through the flattest country outside of Nebraska, the site of a 10 square kilometer, 1000 foot tall giant red monolith both wowed and amazed us.

When I say there is NOTHING else around, I mean there is NOTHING else around. Save for a hotel, a cultural center, and another rock formation (all at least 40 kilometers from "the rock") there is NOTHING but red dirt, yellow brush, green trees, and blue sky. How red, you ask? As red as these unedited photos.

We drove around it, we walked right up to it, and we learned as much as we could about it. What we did not do is climb it. Why? Because it is the most holy site in Aboriginal history, culture, and religion they have asked people not to climb it. Despite this very clear, very real, and very understandable reasoning there was still an army of wayward tourists who thought the rock was their play thing. An aboriginal guide said the easiest comparison for Christianity would be if people went to the site of the crucifixion of Christ and peed. I don't really feel like we should be peeing on anyone's holy sites, do you? On that note we heckled some climbers, took some photos of aboriginals, and broke a piece of the rock off to take home with us.

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Location:Middle of Australia

Entering The Red Center

2011-06-24T04:49:00.001-05:00

I'm finally here! The day I arrived in Australia my top site to see was undoubtedly Uluru. Every time someone came to visit I would barrage them with information, statistics, and flight itineraries in an attempt to persuade them to go with me. Four visits later I still hadn't ma it to The Red Center.

We recently started working with an amazing charity called Indigenous Community Volunteers (ICV) on a Larapinta Trail adventure (located in the Red Center). Simultaneously, we entered talks with another charity also looking to do something in this area. What did that mean? An absolute need to do a site visit, hotel inspections, meetings and yes, a visit to Uluru!

We landed on one of just five flights per day to Alice Springs, wandered down the stairs onto the tarmac, and continued into the terminal via a dirt path. After signing my name a dozen times and signing my initials a dozen more, Aditi and I loaded up our white Hyundai Elantra and headed for downtown Alice.

I dropped her at a shopping mall food court so she could continue work on our marathon program and I headed off to meet ICV. Post-meeting I picked her up, grabbed some emergency supplies, and hit the road for Erldunda, our midway stopover. This is. Erldunda:

The Stuart Highway - the only paved road in this part of Australia - led us in a straight line for nearly 2 hours. With a posted legal speed limit of 100mph the ride was not lacking excitement (or giant road trains, which is when a semi truck pulls 3-6 payloads behind it, stretching up to 120 feet in length).

We arrived safe and sound and have checked into room number 23. We are headed to The Tavern for dinner and have to hurry, as hot food is not served past 8pm. Before I rush off, just a few initial observations:

1. It is clear that a majority of Australia's aboriginal population is consolidated in the Northern Territory.
2. Dying strategically selected sections of one's hair is all the rage.
3. Perms, hair mousse, bell bottom jeans, and leopard print are all the rage.
4. Shoulder pads are back in here too (or perhaps never went out)
5. Signs are AMAZING. Evidence:

Onward to Uluru tomorrow. Yeah!!!

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Location:Erldunda, Northern Territory, Australi

They say it's your birthday!

2011-06-21T01:59:00.001-05:00

There is nothing quite like a good fancy dress party to ring in a birthday! Especially when you have amazing friends who go above and beyond to dress to the theme. What might that theme have been, you ask? ONLY IN AMERICA! Six people brought fried chicken and EVERYONE brought a gun. It was a birthday I'll never forget. Special commendation goes to:

Team America - most commitment to costume
Jen Zuber - most amazing birthday cake I have EVER seen
Cynthia Pascual - most talented adopted child and fabulous roomie
Aditi Fruitwala - birthday celebration LEGEND

More photos below of Team America, the cake, and Jen and Rich as Bonnie and Clyde. So many guns!

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Location:Casa de Waterloo

I went to Zanzibar too!

2011-06-09T08:03:00.000-05:00

And here is a link to all of THOSE pictures!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyletaylor/sets/72157626715498071/

More Africa Pictures from Kilimanjaro!

2011-06-08T08:02:00.000-05:00

Just a quick link to ALL of my Kilimanjaro pictures on Flickr. Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyletaylor/sets/72157626710806795/

Day 7 Climbing Kilimanjaro: Down we go

2011-06-07T07:59:00.000-05:00

Awakening for this final morning on the mountain brings mixed emotions. On one hand, it is done and we are returning to real beds, hot showers, and non-fried food. On the other, it marks the end of the greatest adventure of our lives. The group convenes for breakfast and for the first time in a week everyone is genuinely calm and relaxed. We have done it. We have summitted Mount Kilimanjaro! The thought never gets old and simultaneously doesn’t feel real.

Our six-hour descent takes us back from rocks to small shrubs to big shrubs to tall trees. The sun is once again shining and as we reach the gates at Marangu the group lets out a collective sigh of relief before shedding a few more tears. As difficult as it was - as trying as the experience had been on our minds, bodies, and spirits, there was no doubt that we would miss the mountain. Still, what gave us peace was the knowledge that we would forever have this connection to Kilimanjaro, to our charity, and to each other that could never be fully explained both to ourselves and to others. It was, without question, the adventure of a lifetime.

Day 6 Climbing Kilimanjaro: To the summit or bust

2011-06-06T07:58:00.000-05:00

At exactly 12am we regrouped outside, where a tiny snowfall welcomed us. Once again, this meant higher-than-average air temperature - something we were thankful for. The entire operation began with military precision. We were put in line based on strength, meaning the woman who was still suffering from gastro and feeling quite weak was up front so the rest of us could support, love, and nurture her on the way up. The guides were firm and clear in their instructions, as they should be. After all, most of them had climbed the mountain more than one hundred times.

Like a flash we were heading upward from 4,750 metres at Kibo to 5,895 metres at the summit. From Kibo to Gilman’s Point is mostly a blur. It whizzes by and the only thing on your mind is “step, step, step, right, left, right, left.” My most vivid memory is the heels of the shoes belonging to the woman in front of me. We stop at 2am for a snack and water bottle refill. These breaks must happen at lightning speed, as remaining still for too long lowers your body temperature and makes it near impossible to continue. We stop again at 4am for a similar break, only this time it is much much colder. By 5am we are no longer trekking and are now climbing up what feels like steps. It is not entirely certain, as the absolute darkness leaves visibility at roughly two metres.

Without any real warning, light begins to appear over the eastern horizon. Literally moments later the sign reading “Gilman’s Point” becomes visible. We are there - our first major milestone. Watching the African sun rise over Tanzania and Kenya from above the clouds is an out-of-body experience and by now the entire group is shedding tears of joy, pride, and a touch of relief. We are nearly there and we did it together not just for ourselves but for a great charity.

Now able to see our own footsteps, we begin the two-hour journey to Uhuru Peak - the true roof of Africa. The entire trek is lined with brilliant panoramic views. There are other peaks off in the distance, airplanes flying below where we are currently standing, massive glaciers that are tens of thousands of years old. None of it quite feels real.

Then, just as suddenly, we all reach the sign post marking the summit itself. Breathtaking is the only word that accurately describes how you feel at that moment. Somehow, I managed to rustle up enough energy to jump in the air before huddling the entire group together for a group picture, the same way we started this epic journey.

Because it is so high (5,895 metres), we are only able to stay at the summit for 20 minutes before beginning our descent back down to Kibo. This return happens at a near lightning pace as you literally ski down the loose volcanic scree rock, Mawenzi peak off in the distance. In a matter of what seems like minutes (thought it is actually still several hours) we are back at Kibo where we de-summit our wardrobe before hopping into bed for a two-hour nap. Upon waking we quickly pack our bags, gear up with our wet weather layer on the outside (a must-have item) to combat the light rain, eat another massive meal, and hit the trail.

It is three hours to Horombo, where we will camp for the night. Whether it is exhaustion, relief, or happiness that drives us down that mountain I do not know but the freedom to move as fast as you like (now we are going downhill, after all) and the solace of knowing you have done it somehow carries your beyond-tired body onward. We reach camp, set up house in our tents for the very last time, recount the entire experience over a slightly smaller dinner, toast with a glass of African red wine, and are in bed by 8pm, marking the end of our 36-hour (19 of those walking) journey to the summit with just one day of walking left ahead of us.

Day 5 Climbing Kilimanjaro: It’s time

2011-06-04T07:58:00.002-05:00

At 6:30am I find some tea and a bowl of hot water outside my door as well as a fresh dusting of snow! Once again, it had kept us warm in the night - like a giant soft white blanket. There is a buzz about camp this morning. Today is the day. We’ll walk five hours to Kibo, nap, eat, and nap before waking up at 11pm to begin our summit attempt at midnight. It is then six hours to Gilman’s Point, two more to Uhuru Peak (the summit), then 4 more back down to Kibo. After lunch and a short nap we continue on 3 more hours to Horombo, where we’ll camp for the evening. All in, it is 19 hours of walking in just 36 hours.

The wind is biting as we round the edge of Mawenzi Peak and begin our journey across the saddle between the two mountains. The landscape is a lunar desert - desolate, monochomatic, and seemingly endless. Clouds whisp up and over the edge to our right, roll across the saddle itself, then glide smoothly back down to our left. While Kibo is visible in the distance, our guides assure us that we must maintain our pole pole (slowly slowly) pace to conserve energy and that it will, in fact, be several more hours before we reach camp.

We rest one hour away from Kibo to eat lunch in our own mess tent. At this point, no one has an appetite. Unfortunately, that does not matter. Now more than ever eating food and keep our energy levels high is of the utmost importance. We reach Kibo and find we have been upgraded to huts! That means real walls, real beds, and real mattresses! I am ushering people inside and encouraging them to get to sleep as quickly as possible. We have two hours to nap before briefing and dinner - another meal that we all have to literally force down our throats. Then it’s back to bed for three more hours. This up and down, back and forth, eat and sleep routine works well by now. We have been following similar instructions for nearly a week and everyone does exactly as they’re told without really thinking about it. This is what makes the entire experience possible - letting go and allowing the experts (our guides) lead us up the mountain. The feeling of absolute freedom is incredible.

We are awakened at 11pm by our head guide, who slowly brings us back to consciousness by singing an African hymn. By now, we’re all running on autopilot and doing exactly as we’re told. “Long underwear on, pants on, shirt on, fleece on, outer layer on, shell on, balaclava on, hat on, liner gloves on, outer gloves on, shoes on.” There is only one objective when dressing to summit - put on every item of clothing you have with you. A few other top summit tips emerge as well:

Make your only goal to minimize the amount of “stuff” on you. If you can, leave even your daypack at the huts. You only really need clothes, water, and some protein/energy bars.

Remember that water will freeze mid-climb, which means one liter must be kept inside your jacket. The porters carry extra bottles for you and will refill your bottle as necessary.

Organize your pockets! Keep essential items like protein bars in outer pockets, with your camera stowed in an inside pocket. There is nothing to see until you’ve reached Gilman’s Point, so no need for your camera to be easily accessible the first six hours.

After we’re dressed and geared up, we come together for one final pre-summit warm beverage, some popcorn, and some group singing. Keeping morale high at such a shocking hour is crucial, so we blasted some YMCA, Stand By Me, and Lean On Me while singing at the top of our lungs. It was an incredible energizer and now, it was time to finish what we had started.

Day 4 Climbing Kilimanjaro: A little R&R

2011-06-03T07:57:00.000-05:00

Today is known as our “lazy morning,” as we don’t have to be up until 7:30am. Woohoo! I pull out my iPod and small speakers for the first time so far and crank some tunes to the both the amazement and pleasure of the group. Aretha Franklin’s “Sisters” seems to really get us going. After our ginormous breakfast, we depart on our second acclimitisation walk. While yesterday’s lasted for just ninety minutes, today’s walk will be just under three hours. It is our unofficial assessment with the doctor (who has been traveling with us the entire journey to ensure safety) as to whether or not he believes we will be able to summit. This is done with the utmost care, as safety is - without question - the highest priority.

Thankfully, everyone is in good form and the doctor is, as he says to us, “not worried at all.” We return to camp for yet another massive meal. This time the cooks dish up a phenomenal cheese and tomato toasty that has us all gaga. At 4,320 metres it really is the little things that matter most.

Our afternoon is all about rest and relaxation. After all, tomorrow starts what will be a marathon two days, with summiting the highest point in Africa and fourth-highest in the world on our agenda. No big deal at all! I nap yet again. This is followed by dinner, some bag rearranging, and a bed time of 7:30pm. My grandmother would be proud.

Day 3 Climbing Kilimanjaro: Up and up

2011-06-02T07:56:00.000-05:00

Wake-up call is again at 6:30am, which is a bit more difficult when you’ve been darting back and forth to the toilet all night. Even if your stomach is not upset, the altitude sickness medication - called diamox - leaves you needing to pee at least twice in the night. If there is any silver lining in this situation, it is that your walk to the toilet tents offers sweeping cross-sky views of what can only be described as the clearest, star-filled sky I have ever seen.

Following another gluttonous breakfast and rapid morning “pack, clean, dress, and go” routine, we set off on a mainly uphill four-hour trek that brings us from 3,400 metres to 4,320 metres at the base of Mount Mawenzi, where we will have an additional day to acclimatise. Today’s walk - while shorter - is a near constant uphill. While the sun is still shining brilliantly, the air is markedly cooler as we continue upward. By now there is very little plant life. Replaced by dramatic rock formations, the landscape becomes almost mysterious, bordering on otherworldly.

We reach camp by lunchtime. The final stretch of trail is actually an ascent into the “mini-Kili’s” crater. Now above the clouds, our tents appear to be literally floating in the sky. Somehow each stopping point manages to be more beautiful and more mesmerising than the last. After another enormous lunch, we all enjoy a mid-afternoon nap in the confines of our tent. Thanks to the direct sunlight and small space, my tents acts as a greenhouse and I am - for the first time in three days - genuinely toasty, cozy, and warm. It is completely brilliant.

Post-nap we regroup for our first of two acclimitisation walks. These walks help to ensure summit success by trekking a short distance upward to 4,700 metres then descending back down to 4,320 metres to eat and sleep. While not physically exhausting, these walks offer yet another gorgeous perspective on where we are and what we are doing.

Our evening includes - yet again - an otherwordly-size dinner, lots of fluids, a deep conversation about our fears and motivations, and yet more laughing that prompts other campers to ask us to quiet down. After all, it is 8pm! We leave the mess tent to find that we have been snowed on during dinner! The light dusting has done something wonderful, offering a layer of insulation that has a warming effect on the air temperature. I drift off into what will be the best night of sleep I have had since we began. I only had to pee once!

--

Kyle Taylor

Day 2 Climbing Kilimanjaro: This is a marathon, not a sprint

2011-06-01T07:56:00.000-05:00

We are awakened at 6:30am by our guides, who deliver a cup of tea, coffee, or milo and a bowl of hot water to wash our hands. The mornings are a rather frantic affair as you quickly roll your sleeping mat, stuff your sleeping bag in its case, repack your large bag, pop in contacts, prep your feet to prevent blisters, get dressed, and purify water in a matter of fifteen minutes!

I swing my outer tent flap open and wander down to some of the other folks in our group. They are looking high in the sky behind me and when I ask them what’s up, they just point. I swing around to find the summit of Kilimanjaro is looming high above us. To think that we will be at its peak just five days from now does not yet seem possible.

Breakfast is - as expected - massive. Eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, honey, peanut butter, tea, coffee, milo, and more. We still have our appetites so continue to stuff our faces. By 8:30am we return to our main task - walking pole pole (slowly slowly) up the side of a rather large mountain. The forest begins to turn into shrubs and that outer fleece layer is no longer necessary by 10am, as the African sun is now blazing at a very hot 24 degrees. By 11am we are climbing natural stairs on a particularly steep section that seems to never end. It isn’t until nearly 1pm that we surface to a large plateau and find our mess tent set up. Lunch is served!

By now we are under no false pretenses. There are only three things we need to do for the next several days: Eat, sleep, and walk. Everything else is entirely irrelevant. The faster we eat, the faster we get to our evening’s camp which means we’re chowing down at record speed. It’s only 1:30pm when we set off again. The short rest and large meal leave us re-fueled and ready to charge forward on what will become our longest day of trekking save for summit night.

As 3pm rolls around the group’s exhaustion begins to settle in. We’re taking regular water breaks and telling jokes and stories to keep people motivated. Without warning, my stomach begins to rumble. While it is expected that a little tummy trouble might come your way half way up the world’s fourth-highest peak in the middle of Africa, it is still not something you are ever ready for. I allow the group to wander ahead while I duck behind a rock to deal with the situation. This situation is something that every single person in the group will face before we get back down to sea level. Though it is not a particularly nice topic, it does become an area of necessary support and guidance that works to unify us. The more open and relaxed you become, the easier it is to simply let go and fully take in the experience.

We reach the top of a ridge at 5:30pm and can now finally see camp in the distance. This feeling of “nearly there” is something that cannot quite be explained. After nine hours of walking, to know you are just moments away from warm clothes, a wet wipe bath, and yet another enormous feast feels good. A note on wet wipe bathing: start with your face and then move outward. Cleanse under-underwear sections early on as well, finishing with your feet. It will keep the top-priority zones cleaner and odor-free.

At this point, the flora is no more than fifteen centimetres high which allows for unobstructed 360-degree views of the snows of Kilimanjaro on around to the cliff’s edge and outward to the Kenyan savannah. This place is breathtaking and we do our best to take it in before sliding back off into dreamland by 8pm.

--

Kyle Taylor

Seven Days To The Summit - Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

2011-05-30T07:37:00.003-05:00

Though I climbed Kili a few months ago, I only recently had time to write about it! This is the first of a 7-part series on my adventure to the top of the mountain. Enjoy!

Day 1: Where it all begins

We awake in our hotel rested, prepared, and ready to begin our climb up Mount Kilimanjaro. After a very big breakfast the bus is loaded up and we’re off. We won’t see hot water, indoor plumbing, or a real bed again for seven days. The slow and winding road to Rongai Gate - where we will begin our ascent - is lined with one-room homes made of corrugated metal. Barefoot children play while their mothers talk in earnest about events of the day. This journey offers an incredible reminder as to how fortunate we are to have the opportunity of climbing this very big mountain in support of an amazing charity.

Three hours later, we are at the gate. While our bags are weighed and distributed to porters (for each person that climbs Kili there is on average 4 more people that serve a supporting role in the form of guides, cooks, tent experts, and bag porters) we eat another large energy-high meal of bread, eggs, chicken, meat, salad, chips, and fresh fruit. You need all the energy you can muster to make it to the top. Lunch completed and our 3 liters of daily water stuffed into daypacks (you need 4 liters per day to stay hydrated at that elevation), we take a quick “before” photo and finally get on our way.

The day’s trekking winds through tall trees and forest land just slightly upward at all times. Our pace is set for us by the guides - something we are endlessly thankful for. “Pole Pole,” they will come to tell us regularly. “Slowly Slowly.” This isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. The 25-degree heat slowly fades away as we climb higher and higher. Thankfully our first day of trekking is only three hours and we reach camp at 5:30pm just as the sun is coming down.

After signing in (a task that must be completed each evening) we find our already pitched tents, set up home, put on a few more layers, and ready for dinner. Each meal is taken in our mess tent - a large one-room space that quickly becomes synonymous with force-feeding (the guides make sure we eat every last bite), incredibly open conversations, and laughing until you cry. By 8pm we are all completely exhausted and retire to our tents for some much-desired sleep.

5 hours, 27 Degrees, a whole lot of wall

2011-05-11T20:08:00.000-05:00

We awoke to another day of brilliant sunshine ready to attack our final day on the wall with incredible vigor; our final push if this Inspired Adventure in support of HRC.

Today was no easy trek. In an attempt to miss the crowds, we hiked up to the wall via a long, winding, and fairly difficult stretch of traffic that bobbed and weaved through the forest. My goodness was it hot! At 27 degrees this was most certainly the highest temperature we had come across. Combine that with the arrival of a thick, sticky air and our challenge went from difficult to extremely challenging.

Thankfully, we were tough. I mean really tough. From Michael to Paul, Francis to Trish, and Claudia too, we pulled up trousers, chugged our hydralyte and got up the mountain!

Our reward at the top: sweeping views of the snake-like Great Wall crawling along the ridge and stretching as far as the eye could see in every direction. It is the only place I have ever been that is absolutely impossible to capture in a photo. It's grandiosity, it's splendor, and it's mystery is just too big for a lens. In the end we had renamed it the "Super Amazing, Totally Unbelievable, Fantastic, Wonderful, Awe-Inspiring Wall."

We finished the day in a local village with a feast fit for about 20 people. Thankfully, we brought our appetite.

--

Kyle Taylor

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Location:Mutianyu Rd,Beijing,China

Travel With Meaning. Doing It For Greg

2011-05-10T08:28:00.001-05:00

The inspiration behind an Inspired Adventure is different for everyone but one things remains true: it's almost always about more than the Adventure.

This was no different for the Heart Research Centre group. For some it was because they had lost a family member from heart disease. For others it was about helping to end the impact of something before it got to their family. The work HRC does to battle the root causes of the illness are not only exceptional but incredibly important and valuable.

For Francis and Trish, it was even more personal. Just one year ago they lost their grown adult son in a tragic and shocking plane crash. He was survived by a wife and young children as well as two sisters and parents. As you can imagine, the loss was devastating for the family. In that grief there was of course sadness but also a desire to remember, to honor, and to find happiness once more. Francis and Trish saw this adventure as a way to do that. They could work to support a great cause while simultaneously bringing an activity into their lives that would be give them focus, meaning, and a chance to challenge themselves in honor of their dear son.

In their late 60s and early 70s, they have taken on the Great Wall Challenge with the vigor and commitment of people half their age. They raised over $16,000 and have been leading the pack every single day.

As we took our first steps on the wall Francis looked to the sky and said out loud, "We are here Greg. We are on the wall. We made it for you." I have no doubt he is looking down on them right now with a very proud smile on his face.

--

Kyle Taylor

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Location:Mutianyu Rd,Beijing,China

Finding love on the Great Wall

2011-05-10T01:50:00.001-05:00

Oh what a day on the Great Wall! The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and our spirits were high as we took to the wall for day three of our Great Wall of China Challenge in support of the Heart Research Centre. With nearly $30,000 raised by just 5 super committed individuals, we took to what is considered one of the most beautiful (and steepest) sections of the wall.

It didn't take long for this bunch to make friends. In fact, within 20 minutes we were traveling with a small army of local women all helping us to climb the tough bits, stay hydrated, and support the local economy.

This time, however, if wasn't Francis who served as our ambassador at large but Michael, whose helper was literally dragging him upward by the hand at record speed. We began to joke that he had found a girlfriend (all in jest of course) and when I said it aloud in Chinese, the entire gaggle of women burst into raucous laughter. It was good fun!

As our 3-hour walk was coming to a close, we decided to give the HRC a little shootout by spelling out the acronym with our bodies in front of a spectacular panoramic view of the Wall. What a way to end a perfect day.

From there is was a late lunch and onward travel to our next section, which we'll be taking on tomorrow on a roughly 6-hour trek near the Jiankou and Mutianyu sections of the Great Wall.

For now, here are a few more photos of our epic day!

--

Kyle Taylor

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Location:Great Wall, China

Team HRC - Bringin' The Heat

2011-05-09T11:13:00.001-05:00

Day two of our aim to conquer the Great Wall (or at least 60 kilometers of it) and the team is ready to rumble. We ros early and were greeted by glorious sunshine, blue skies, and the powerful Wall looking above us. After a quick breakfast of fried bread, pancakes, eggs, fruit, potatoes, and tea we hit the road to our next access point - Gubeiko.

One of the most strategically important parts of the wall, Gubeiko winds along the spine of Beijing's northern mountains, diving into valleys and crawling carefully to the apex of each peak before disappearing into the horizon.

Our target was 5 hours of walking and my goodnessp did we take it full on. Right from the start our pace was determined and we hit each milestone 20-30 minutes ahead of schedule. We laughed, we joked, but mostly we pushed each others' jaws back into place after extended periods of "oh my gosh it's mesmerizing." Trish, Claudia, and Paul pressed on while Francis taught Michael how to make friends with the locals.

As we neared hour 4 of seemingly endless stairs the calves were burning and, pores were sweating, and the breath was panting. Stil, we hunkered down, cheered each other on, and reached our stopping point before dark!

On getting to the lodge, exhausted Paul collapsed in bed while the rest of us enjoyed a well-deserved piping hot shower before dinner, beer, wine, some local shopping (get excited relatives!), and quality Aussie banter.

To bed we go in anticipation of what I am sure will be another brilliant day taking steps for the Heart Research Centre.

GO TEAM!

--

Kyle Taylor

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Location:Jingcheng Expy,Beijing,China

Oh hey there wall. You are pretty great!

2011-05-08T20:07:00.001-05:00

The ride out to the Great Wall is a slow and steady one. The urban sprawl of Beijing seems to be never-ending. High rises become low rises which gradually turn into split levels before melting away into the green pastures of the city's outskirts. We are 120 kilometers from the Forbidden City and there is still traffic!

After a toilet stop where we stock up on local street food, it's back on Teh bus for a light trek around the Qing Tombs and another delectable lunch before shooting onward to the Great Wall!

True to form, the sun turned to cloud turned to rain right as we were stepping off the bus! But hey, this is a charity challenge so we donned our wet weather gear and hit the Wall for Heart Research Centre. It was winding, it was steep, it was slippery, and it was incredible. The first steps almost always take your breath away. No amount of pictures or national geographic specials can prepare you for the shear size and scope of it all.

As it was our first day, we spent about two hours on the wall before winding down to our guesthouse, where we proceeded to ring out our clothes ana grab yet another delectable dinner. I cannot reiterate how delicious the food is.

Everyone is doing very well picking up the most important Chinese phrases: hello, thank you, napkin, beer, and toilet. Francis in particular has become a roving Ambassador while Claudia has won the award for multiple-continent multi-tasking as she walks, sips water, and commiserates with her 14-year old daughter in Australia on Skype.

Looking forward to some sunshine tomorrow so we can keep taking steps for Hear Rearch Centre!

--

Kyle Taylor

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Location:Jinxing Line,Chengde,China

Important pre-show information

2011-05-07T19:45:00.001-05:00

I'm fairly certain no commentary is necessary. Chinese signs are THE BEST:

And the amazing show:

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Location:Zhushikou E St,Beijing,China

Sites, sounds, and Francis Dancing

2011-05-07T19:40:00.001-05:00

It started innocent enough:

It was our day to take in the sites, sounds, and smells of historic and beautiful Beijing. After a massive buffet breakfast and 20-minute wait for an elevator, we hopped in our mini bus and glided smoothly into the biggest traffic jam most of us had ever seen. Te existence of this traffic jam was confusing, as the road was completely clear 100 meters up the road. Still, that didn't stop the horns (or that woman in that pink car with pink seat covers and a pink hat from screaming at the top of her lungs out the window at EVERYONE)!

We made it to the Temple of Heaven before the crowds and the weather was just divine. Sunshine, blue skies, and the perfect cool breeze. From there it was onward to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.

It was its usual spectacular self and we kept our cool but sucking away on delicious dragon fruit ice pops. It was here that we met the child who would win the title for "cutest kid in China." He had no problem striking a pose for us either:

Following our visit we stopped for lunch at the most frenetic restaurant I have ever seen before shifting our late afternoon plan and taking in a quintessential China experience - an afternoon in the park. Chinese people make the best use of public space of any people in the world. There is karaoke, there is dancing, there are adorable old women emblazoned with enormous smiles, there are tulips, and there is Francis:

Within minutes of the music starting, Francis - our lord of the dance - was moving and grooving like nobody's business. Soon, a crowd of spectators and a line of hopeful dance partners had formed. All the while Trish stood nearby repeating to us, "well there he goes!". It was the perfect end to a perfect day in Beijing!

--

Kyle Taylor

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Location:Gaojiazhai Hutong,Beijing,China

Temple of Heaven!

2011-05-06T20:36:00.001-05:00

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Location:Fukang Nanli,Beijing,China

The gangs all here!

2011-05-06T18:58:00.001-05:00

Everyone has arrived safe and sound! We had a lovely dinner last night then went for a stroll around central Beijing. It was a perfect night - the hustle and bustle of the hutong, the buds of cottonwood trees floating through the air, and the wind rushing through our hair on the back of a rickshaw. Loving China!

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Location:Hufang Rd,Beijing,China

My neighbors!

2011-05-05T04:44:00.001-05:00

These are my neighbors ALL THE WAY to China. Chaos has already ensued. GO TEAM!

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Location:Occupation Rd,Kyeemagh,Australia

Off To China

2011-05-02T09:44:00.003-05:00

I admit, I've been TERRIBLY derelict here. Things I've missed:

1. Climbing Kilimanjaro
2. My Mom's Visit!
3. LIFE in Sydney

My excuse is a good one - I haven't been home for more than 5 days at once since the end of February. BUT, my wrongs are about to be righted! I'm off to China Friday with an amazing group of people fundraising for the Heart Research Centre. Look out for more glorious stories of all that is China. Head down, elbows up. It's go time!

In Bangkok!

2011-03-07T10:28:00.001-05:00

After the first ten of 27 hours in transit I'm laid over in Bangkok! It's 2am and the airport is bustling! Onward to Nairobi in about an hour. 15 mins of free wifi. Woohoo!

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Location:Suk Thawon,Racha Thewa,Thailand

To Africa!

2011-03-06T22:33:00.001-05:00

At the airport now about to depart for Tanzania and Zanzibar! Im leading a group of 11 women on a charity challenge as they climb Mount Kilimanjaro after having raised $130,000 for Kids Helpline!

It is the worlds tallest freestanding mountain and the highest point in Africa. Most have described climbing it as harder that child birth. BRING IT ON! I'll try and update as much as possible but instant updates will be on the Inspired Adventures Twitter: @inspiredadvntrs

For now, it's a boost juice and mrs fields cookie. Yum!

Wish us luck!

-Kyle

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Location:Departure Plaza,Mascot,Australia

NEVER Fly Tiger Airways

2011-02-24T22:35:00.001-05:00

I awoke at 4:30am to head back to Sydney from Melbourne for a one-hour meeting before returning to Melbourne by 2pm just in time for an afternoon meet and greet followed by the conference President's Dinner where Justine and I would proceed to wine, dine, and be generally awesome.

My morning routine went off without a hitch and I caught a can in record time for 5am. The driver dropped me at Tiger's auxiliary terminal located 2 or 3 days walk from the rest of the airport, fresh drinking water, and any signs of intelligent life.

Naturally, there were two people to check in an entire airplane. Brilliant guys. Just brilliant. The announcements over the PA included things like: "Hi, okay, we are paging the four people who checked in but have not gotten on the plane to Brisbane. Apparently they don't want to go to Brisbane today.". They were made at ear-piercing levels that left all of us in line wincing while simultaneously plugging our ears.

My fellow passengers were attempting to check bags enveloped in plastic wrap and duck tape as large and as heavy as a small donkey. Babies were crying. Some weren't wearing shoes. The staff were clearly over the moon and job satisfaction was visibly sky high (read: sarcasm).

As I neared the desk the announcement was made that I would, in fact, not be traveling to Sydney this fine morning; something everyone had told me in jest (or truth, apparently) AFTER I had bought my ticket. Of course, what did I expect? After all, I was traveling from a leaping tiger to a paw print. That's never good.

The panic begins To set in immediately. I am flying to Sydney for only one meeting. One INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT meeting. I have a return flight that will go to waste. My phone has no reception thanks to the brilliant Vodaphone so I can't phone my boss to confer.

My instinct is to dart back to the other terminals located in civilization and find an alternative flight. I take off at full speed, arms and bags flailing.

I maintained this pace for the first several hours of my run but by the time I reached the other terminal I was panting, sweating, and wildly flustered.

Arriving at the Virgin ticketing desk resulted in being advised that all flights are full. Quantas lovingly offered me a one-way price equal to chartering a private jet, so that was out.

I finally arrived at the JetStar ticketing desk, lump in my throat and near tears. This whole skip back to Sydney was incredibly important and now here I was stranded by the powers of dreaded Tiger Airways.

I reached the counter and attempted to explain to poor Mary what was happening. The added stress of knowing the only workable flight was leaving in 35 minutes (with ticketing closing in 5) didn't help. "I me Sydney go now work Tiger bad meeting important broken phone airplane soon.". Mary looked at me, "I'm sorry, what?" I tried again. "Plane. No fly. Meeting. Sydney. Sad. Go now."

"So you need a plane to Sydney now for a meeting," she translated. I nodded.

Mary is my new hero. She managed to completely sort my entire drama out in under 3 minutes with 1 minute to spare before ticketing closed. She did this at a reduced rate (out of pity, I think) then raced me through security after having to run my credit card twice because I couldn't remember the pin. It was a tragic comedy of errors.

Thankfully, I made the meeting in no small part due to Mary. Tiger, you are the worst. EVER.

--

Kyle Taylor

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Location:Tullamarine Fwy,Melbourne Airport,Australia

Routines

2011-02-21T07:46:00.002-05:00

For the better part of 3 years, I couldn't tell you where I was going to be or what I was going to do week-to-week or even day-to-day. There was a general plan of action but the specifics were inevitably left to be filled in. While this did stress me at times, it ultimately kept life fun, interesting, and changing quickly.

Now, in the world of normal, I can pretty much tell you where I'm going to be every Monday night at 7pm for the foreseeable future - in Zumba class. On Tuesdays at 11:15am I will be with my trainer (because that's what you have when you have a regular income and need to fit in). On Thursdays at 7am I will be at bikram yoga and on Saturday mornings I will be eating two eggs over medium on toast with yogurt, a banana, and orange juice. While most may find this comforting, I find it exhausting. The whole thing is like this delicate tower of must-dos and have-tos that get discussed and talked about regularly. In our office I know everyone else's schedule and they know mine. For every day of the week. I could literally tell you what I am scheduled to do every day of the week for the foreseeable future.

If plans change I get confused and don't know what to do with the spare time. "Oh, so no Zumba tonight? I guess I'll um...well...maybe...goodness me, this has just really thrown me for a loop. I mean, no, it's fine. Yeah, no, things come up (how, I don't know because Zumba has been on the calendar for a month and you don't just cancel Zumba). It's fine. Yeah, I'm fine. I'll find something else to do." Pan to me three hours later twiddling my thumbs trying to think of something to do on the spur of the moment.

For now, I shall find comfort in my routine and do my best to go with the flow. In fact, I've just penciled in some "go with the flow" time on Thursday evenings. I can't wait!

--

Kyle Taylor

Picture from: http://www.psychologytoday.com/files/u107/exercise_routine.jpg

The Urgency Of The Golden Girls

2011-02-20T07:46:00.002-05:00

There's this very strange phenomenon when you have a traditional job. At 5pm, your work is done. Like, totally done. You leave and it stays there. You perhaps think about it once or twice but from 5pm to 9am, life is yours. In my previous "alternative" life, work was life and life was work. It all melded together, none of it ever really stopping, separating, or compartmentalizing.

With all these free time comes the challenge of finding time fillers. When you're not working 80 hours a week, what does one do? I've been a keen observer in an effort to learn what 9-5 folks have taken on.

They do things like work out. They spend all day (when the sun is shining) inside working then spend a few hours in the evening (when the sun has set) running in place on a moving piece of plastic in an air-conditioned room full of other people doing the same thing. It boggles my mind yet I do it every day.

They "go for drinks." This is the quintessential working professional activity aimed at "unwinding" after a "long day" and is performed with close friends and/or colleagues. It starts with "just one to relax" and ends alone in a taxi at 10pm after having spent $70 on beer (but then it's up at 6am to run the beer off on a moving piece of plastic in an air-conditioned room). I don't do the beer thing, thankfully.

They pick up hobbies. These become the topics of conversation at drinks. "Oh yes, I'm taking a painting class on Wednesdays. Just utterly divine." I'm taking a hip hop dance class because it's AWESOME.

They take up the latest trends. "Oh, I'm doing Zumba every Monday." *Cough* I'm doing Zumba every Monday.

They shop. Dear god do they shop. At lunch. Online. During Thursday night "late shopping." On the weekends. On the go. All the time. Always shopping. For work clothes. For stuff to do their hobby. For "going out" clothes. For Zumba shoes. It's a never-ending revolving door dedicated entirely to spending money. Then they go back to work to make more money so they can spend that too.

They watch box sets of television shows with an uncanny urgency. It's utterly bizarre but with all this time you can literally watch an entire season of a television show in a week. Not only "can" you do it, you MUST do it. It's a mission. It goes on your to-do list. Mine currently says: Call Mom, check on visa status, blog, contact internet provider about service, pack for Kilimanjaro trip, watch series two of The Golden Girls. That last bit is circled, underlined, and written in red ink. I can't explain it but it must be done and it must be done now. I'm sitting here writing and thinking to myself, "man, I need to hurry. Got lots to watch before I can go to bed." WHY?!?! This makes no sense and yet it feels totally normal. Must. Watch. B. Arthur.

Is it because there is so little urgency in my current lifestyle relative to the past that I need to create it in new and innovative ways? Is it that I love Betty White THAT MUCH? I'm still not sure but I do know I've got to get the gym, stop in for after-work drinks, pick up some new pants for my dance class that I "need" and watch 3 episodes of the Golden Girls all before Tuesday. Man, it's going to be a busy start to the week...

--

Kyle Taylor

My Job Explained In 2 Minutes

2011-02-16T07:39:00.005-05:00

Alas, I've just finished producing the above video that highlights what exactly we do at Inspired Adventures! Thanks to the amazing editing team at StoryHead. Watch it and ask yourself the question, "What Inspires Me To Act?"

Then dance around your living room like nobody's watching!

--

Kyle Taylor

Bills, Bills, Bills. Pay my internet bills, pay my...

2011-02-14T06:47:00.003-05:00

Destiny's Child - Bills, Bills, Bills (Official Music Video). Watch more top selected videos about: Destiny's Child

Now that I have like, a set income that like, I get every two weeks to like, buy things, I also have set bills that I like, have to pay, like, every few weeks. Until a few months ago, I had never in my life had a recurring online bank transfer. I didn't even know what it was when my roommate asked me to set one up to pay rent. The conversation went like this:

Cynthia: "You can just pay me quickly and easily online using online bill pay."

Me: "Oh cool! So easy! What's online bill pay?"

Cynthia: "It's a banking tool that allows you to set up regular transfers that just happen at pre-determined, scheduled dates and times. You just need BSB, account number, and so forth. The usual stuff."

Me: "Oh cool! What's BSB? I only know it as Backstreet Boys."

Cynthia: "Um, no, it's the bank code so they know where to send the money."

Me: "But they don't really "send" anything, do they. It's just zipping through computer land. I don't know, it seems weird."

Cynthia: "It's not weird. It's real life."

Me: "But what if there isn't enough money?"

Cynthia: "There will be, because you get paid the same day every other week."

Me: "Oh, right. I do. Like, every other week. All the time."

It's amazing how every other Thursday, I have money. I mean, I work for it but I always have always "worked" at something and never gotten this regular reward of cash-in-hand. It feels so foreign. What also feels foreign is how quickly it disappears. I didn't realize real people have so many bills. Some of them seem normal (like rent) then others are like, "why did I sign up for that?"

I gotta pay my rent bills. I gotta pay my cell phone bills. I gotta pay my internet bills. I gotta pay my yoga bills. I gotta pay them all every month. Like, EVERY month. All the time. Forever. So in turn, I gotta keep my job because I need the money to pay all the bills I have created for myself. It can all be rather stressful. AND, it seems like it's always time to pay the bills again. I'm constantly saying to myself, "I just paid that bill. They already want my money again?"

What's also stressful is the hidden costs and the horrific deal you seem to get as the consumer. The cell phone guy: "Okay, so that's $55 a month. Plus one time activation plus first month ahead plus bond plus tax plus human interaction fee plus the "you bought it on Tuesday" bonus bill plus the "unlimited options" limitation exemption fee so that comes to $832." There I am going, "but I just did the BSB and the Act and the recurring monthly transfer for $55 and it took me 2 hours to set up and I don't know how to undo it" and they're telling me "okay well, I'll have to tack on the wrong payment amount finders fee cross reference expense as outlined in bullet point 922 on page 213 written in size 6 font."

The real world is hard.

--

Kyle Taylor